iTunes leads in music sales

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. iTunes was the leading music retailer for the first half of 2008, according to The NPD Group. This was followed by Wal-Mart and Best Buy. Amazon and Target rounded out the top five.

“We expect Apple will consolidate its lead in the retail music market, as CD sales continue to slow,said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group. “Amazon’s CD buyers tend to be older, so they haven’t abandoned the CD format to the extent seen in the average music buyer. Plus Amazon’s successful introduction of its digital download store will help the company improve its position in the future.”