Sweden sees boom in legal downloading

The sale of music via the internet and mobile phones has increased by 100 percent since the Swedish anti-file sharing IPRED law entered into force last week, according to digital content provider InProdicon.

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“The first week after the introduction of IPRED, sales increased by 100 percent compared to the previous weeks. I don't know if this is only because of IPRED, but it is definitely a sign of a major change,” said managing director Klas Brännström.

InProdicon provides half of the downloaded tunes in Sweden via several online and mobile music services. Their Swedish clients include Tele2, Telia, Åhlens and MTV.

Last week's upswing was unusually strong, but legal downloading is experiencing a more long-term boost. InProdicon, however, does not want to release information on the specific number of songs sold.

“We have seen a clear sales increase compared to last year. There has been a 20-30 percent increase on an annual basis, but sales fluctuate a bit depending on which artists are launching new albums,” said Brännström.

Another clear trend is that Swedish artists are benefiting from the increase in legal downloads. Around 60 percent of the downloaded music is Swedish.

“It might be due to the fact that digital stores have a wider selection,” said Brännström.