16 December 2008
This year's X Factor winner Alexandra Burke has had the fastest selling download single ever in Europe this week. Her debut single, a cover of the Leonard Cohen classic 'Hallelujah', was released at midnight on Saturday, just 2 hours after she was crowned the winner of the show. It sold 105,000 copies on the first day of release, smashing the previous record set by the 2006 X Factor winner Leona Lewis, who sold 82,000 copies of her debut 'A Moment Like This'.
Gennaro Castaldo of HMV said: "We're seeing a phenomenal rush to download the Hallelujah single from our website. It's both our fastest and biggest selling download ever"
The single is set to make Christmas number one this weekend, with the closest contender for the top spot being Peter Kay's single 'Once Upon a Christmas Song' by the 'winner' of spoof TV talent show Britain's Got The Pop Factor and Possibly a New Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice.
This year's X Factor final was a recorder breaker itself, having the largest viewing figures of any X Factor series so far. With a TV audience of 14.6 million, the show had the highest ratings for an entertainment show since an Only Fools and Horses Christmas special in 2003.
This download record should come as no surprise in the week where 'Cyber Monday' saw online sales volumes up 18% on last year. This Christmas season more and more shoppers are choosing to avoid the crowds and do their spending online. James Roper, CEO of IMRG stated that "Online sales are holding up well, considering the economic conditions, with both volumes and values significantly higher than last year."
The increasing popularity of gadgets like the iPhone, the growing use of the mobile web, and the step away from buying physical CD singles mean online music downloads are becoming more accessible - good news for online vendors such as iTunes and HMV.com. It just goes to show that being one step ahead of the trends can pay off dividends - even when the record breaker is a new take on an old classic.
Music downloads have got the X Factor
This year's X Factor winner Alexandra Burke has had the fastest selling download single ever in Europe this week. Her debut single, a cover of the Leonard Cohen classic 'Hallelujah', was released at midnight on Saturday, just 2 hours after she was crowned the winner of the show. It sold 105,000 copies on the first day of release, smashing the previous record set by the 2006 X Factor winner Leona Lewis, who sold 82,000 copies of her debut 'A Moment Like This'. Gennaro Castaldo of HMV said: "We're seeing a phenomenal rush to download the Hallelujah single from our website. It's both our fastest and biggest selling download ever"
The single is set to make Christmas number one this weekend, with the closest contender for the top spot being Peter Kay's single 'Once Upon a Christmas Song' by the 'winner' of spoof TV talent show Britain's Got The Pop Factor and Possibly a New Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice.
This year's X Factor final was a recorder breaker itself, having the largest viewing figures of any X Factor series so far. With a TV audience of 14.6 million, the show had the highest ratings for an entertainment show since an Only Fools and Horses Christmas special in 2003.
This download record should come as no surprise in the week where 'Cyber Monday' saw online sales volumes up 18% on last year. This Christmas season more and more shoppers are choosing to avoid the crowds and do their spending online. James Roper, CEO of IMRG stated that "Online sales are holding up well, considering the economic conditions, with both volumes and values significantly higher than last year."
The increasing popularity of gadgets like the iPhone, the growing use of the mobile web, and the step away from buying physical CD singles mean online music downloads are becoming more accessible - good news for online vendors such as iTunes and HMV.com. It just goes to show that being one step ahead of the trends can pay off dividends - even when the record breaker is a new take on an old classic.
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