Digital albums are selling at an accelerated pace in the U.S. this year, as sales in 2012 are up 15 percent over the same period in 2011, according to Nielsen. Furthermore, Americans have already purchased one billion digital tracks, a pace that is on track to break 2011's record of 1.3 billion digital tracks sold. Nielsen says the increase in sales is owed to the explosion of devices on the market – such as smartphones and tablets – and their increasing role in consumers' everyday lives.

"As we look ahead, it's clear that digital music purchases – and consumption through streaming sources – will continue to grow, and that consumers' appetites for digital music will change at the speed of technology," commented David Bakula, SVP of Client Development at Nielsen. "These trends will no doubt continue to shape the way that music is discovered, marketed, consumed and sold."