Online downloads inched upward slightly in Japan during the latest quarter, though the rate of increase raised some concerns. According to figures issued by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, or RIAJ, second quarter paid downloads topped 5.94 million units. That is up slightly from a figure of 5.92 million recorded during the first quarter, a 3.4 percent move. Compared to the year-ago quarter, paid downloads increased nearly six-fold, stronger than the year-on-year comparison from the first quarter. A breakdown of single and album download purchases was not immediately available. Revenues internet-based paid downloads topped ¥1.3 billion ($11.1 million) during the quarter.
Meanwhile, file-sharing activity in the region is rising, according to an RIAJ survey. The trade group canvassed a group of users in mid-June, and determined that 1.8 million Japanese internet surfers are now actively grabbing files. That represents about 3.5 percent of Japanese users, up from a figure of 2.7 percent reported in the same quarter last year. Elsewhere, the bulk of paid download activity in Japan in happening in the mobile realm. During the recent quarter, RIAJ figures showed a total of 84.6 million mobile-based downloads during the period. That includes both full-track downloads and master ringtones, and overall revenues topped ¥11.3 billion ($96.5 million). From a broader level, the migration towards online and mobile purchases – legal or illegal – is having an impact on physical purchases.
Heh…More innocents fall to the “Dark Side” of the force…