Is publishing ultimately the more resilient cousin of recordings?  That theory has been seriously challenged by downward pressure on mechanical, synch, and performance royalties, though UK-based PRS for Music offered some encouraging stats over the weekend. 

According to the group, digitally-sourced royalties actually compensated for the decline in physical-based royalties last year, a first for the business.  "2009 was the first year in which the growth in revenues from the legal digital market compensated for the decline in revenues from traditional CDs and DVDs, though we remain cautious as to whether this represents a true turning point," PRS offered in a statement.

And the numbers?  Overall, PRS improved royalty revenues by 2.6 percent to 623 million pounds ($944.8 million), thanks largely to international and online gains.  Fresh territories and positive exchange rate fluctuations boosted the international line item by 19.4 percent to 166.9 million pounds ($253.1 million), enough to tilt the digital-physical balance.   

Online royalties gained a tidy 72.7 percent to 30.4 million pounds ($46.1 million), while CD- and DVD-based royalties shed 8.7 million pounds to 128.5 million pounds ($194.9 million). 

Overall, broadcasting and online royalties edged downward by 1.5 percent. 

Meanwhile, the recorded side is showing tempered declines.  According to stats recently published by label group BPI, albums sales dropped 3.5 percent overall in 2009, far better than a double-digit decline in the US.