Online CD and music download sales are continuing to lose ground to the growing popularity of online streaming, according to new figures by Roy Morgan Research.

While the popularity of online shopping continues to skyrocket in Australia, with 41.2 per cent of Aussies 14 years and over making at least one purchase via the internet in an average four-week period (up from 31.6 per cent in 2012), Roy Morgan found that CDs and music downloads have not kept pace with this growth – in fact, both products have been on a downward trajectory over the past few years.

In the 12 months to March 2012, 6.1 per cent of the population paid to download music and 2.1 per cent purchased CDs online in any given four-week period, but as of March 2016, these figures slipped to 4.6per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, the proportion of Aussies who streamed music online in an average four-week period grew from 10.3 per cent in 2012 to 19.7 per cent in 2016. Radio streaming also gained popularity, with 9.6 per cent of the population now doing it, compared to 6.1 per cent in 2012.

However, Roy Morgan noted that certain consumer groups remain well above average for purchasing music online, with those who purchase movie or TV show downloads almost 10 times as likely to buy music downloads as well.