The UK saw its total music sales increase 9.6% between 2016 and 2017, reaching a total of £1.2 billion, according to the Entertainment Retailers Association. Streaming was a key factor in the positive performance thanks to 41.9% growth in sales. In 2016, paid streaming subscriptions contributed sales of £406.6 million, which rose to £577.1 in 2017, based on the ERA’s preliminary data for the year. The ERA does not track ad-supported streaming revenue.

Physical sales saw a decline of 3.4% between the periods, with 2017 reaching £459.4 million. Downloads fell even farther, with sales of just £165 million following a 23.1% decline.

“In the past the growth of the market tended to be dependent on the release schedules of games publishers, film studios and record labels,” ERA CEO Kim Bayley said. “Now we are seeing a market which is also driven by digital platforms and technologies.”