Global music sales fall 4% in 2013: IFPI music report

Global music sales reportedly declined by 4 percent in 2013, according to the IFPI's annual digital music report.

While Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" sold 14.8 million units, becoming the biggest single of 2013, it did not contribute enough to stop a global fall in music sales last year.

The IFPI's annual digital music report concluded that global music revenue tumbled 4 percent to 15 billion dollars in 2013, after it witnessed a sharp drop in Japan, the New York Post reported.

The report showed that One Direction's "Midnight Memories" was the top-selling album of 2013 globally, selling 4 million copies,

Meanwhile, last year, a decline of 16.7 percent was seen in the Japanese market, which accounts for a fifth of global music dollars, while worldwide revenue, excluding Japan, reportedly declined by just 0.1 percent.

Frances Moore, chief executive of the IFPI, said that the global recording industry is in a positive phase of its development and revenues in most major markets have returned to growth.