Christian music usually comprises about six per cent of national music sales, but this has climbed higher in recent weeks due to top selling albums like Hillsong United’s “Zion” and Darlene Zschech’s “Revealing Jesus”. Both albums went to #1 on the iTunes (digital) albums chart, followed by the latest Compliments Of Gus project, “The Black And The White Of It” which peaked at #4 on initial release.

Overall, the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) has reported a four per cent increase in recorded music sales in Australia  for the first time since 2009.

ARIA says the adoption of digital services now accounts for close to half of the total music sales revenue. Last year, 6.8 million digital albums were sold, compared with 19 million CD albums. The trend for singles, however, was the opposite, with fewer than 200,000 physical CD singles sold against 110 million digital tracks.

This means three times as many people are buying CDs than downloading them from a digital service, but almost all singles are now digital.

On the singles chart, United’s song Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) has retained the top spot for most of the past month while The SkyPilot’s Because Of You recently enjoyed a brief time atop the digital charts.  

Other Aussie acts scoring strong singles and album sales are Planetshakers, C3, Citipointe, Henry Seeley, and Sons Of Korah.

Also in music news this week…

Brittany Cairns (the Sydney based Christian singer from The Voice last year) this week released a video of her debut independent single Behind The Scenes. Behind The Scenes is fast becoming one of the most played songs on Australian Christian radio. 

Canadian singer Naomi Striemer this week starts a month-long tour of Australia. The singer – once hailed by the critics as “The next Celine Dion” – was signed to Sony Records in New York at 18. She’s best known for the songs Earth And Sky and Cars which she recorded with Carlos Santana.  She’s in Australia for a series of concerts and conferences in Sydney, Port Macquarie, Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Click here to listen to more details with Cam Want on TRAA NEWS.