Nine out of every 10 singles are now sold through online platforms such as iTunes or downloaded to mobile phones, according to new figures from the British Phonographic Industry which show the growth of digital music offset by an accelerating decline in CD sales.

Volumes in the more lucrative album market fell by 7.7 per cent in the first half of the year, the music industry group said, without providing figures for the value of CD sales, which have been damaged by intense price competition among supermarkets, online retailers and struggling high street specialists.