Global music sales dipped in 2009

Sales of music slid by 7% around the world in 2009, new figures have revealed.

But the music market in 13 countries, including the UK, grew during the past year, according to data released by recording industry body the IFPI.

It added that global digital sales registered a strong increase across many markets in 2009.

Susan Boyle's debut album was confirmed as the world's biggest seller of the year, shifting 8.3m copies.

The Scottish star's performance was substantially up on 2008's world number one, Coldplay's Viva La Vida, which sold 6.8 million.

The Black Eyed Peas and Michael Jackson's This Is It followed Boyle in the rundown.

Two of Jackson's other albums also featured in the global sales chart of 2009.

The IFPI also reported that countries which have the least stringent protection from music piracy, such as Spain and Canada, registered the most serious falls in official music sales.

Improvements in anti-piracy measures in countries such as Sweden and South Korea saw music sales rise by around 10% in the past year, it added.

In a number of markets, digital sales rocketed by up to 40%.

The IFPI also reported that live music sales around the world grew by 3% during 2009, but this represented a slowdown in comparison with the previous three years.