] Research by George Zieman gives the true reason for ] falling CD sales: the major labels have slashed ] production by 25 per cent in the past two years, he ] argues. ] ] After keeping the figure rather quiet for two years, the ] Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) says the ] industry released around 27,000 titles in 2001, down from ] a peak of 38,900 in 1999. Since year-on-year unit sales ] have dropped a mere 10.3 per cent, it's clear that demand ] has held up extremely well: despite higher prices, ] consumers retain the CD buying habit. The Register: Missing RIAA figures shoot down 'piracy' canard |