X Factor performers boost sales with cover versions

Tracks sung by Joe McElderry have benefited from huge sales uplifts in the days after his X Factor performances indicating that public support is very much in his favour as the final approaches.

Having driven strong sales of tracks including 'No Regrets', 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me' and 'Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word' in previous weeks, his semi-final performance of 'Open Arms' resulted in a 5600% increase in sales of the track at the Amazon MP3 store in the days that followed the show.

'Week after week we have seen sales of the songs performed by Joe jump massively,' said Julian Monaghan, head of music buying at Amazon.co.uk Ltd. 'We saw the most significant increase in sales of Joe's tracks in semi-final week with strong uplifts for both 'Open Arms' and 'She's Out of My Life' whereas we barely saw any movement on the tracks sung by Olly and Stacey on that same show.'

Whoever wins The X Factor will release their debut single on the evening of the final and the Amazon MP3 store will be selling the track for just 29p. All previous X Factor winners' debut singles will also be priced at 29p.*

'Whoever wins X Factor should go on to have the biggest selling single of the year,' said Julian Monaghan. 'The challenge is then maintaining that interest and coming back with a strong first album which transforms the artist from reality show winner to genuine pop star.'

Average MP3 sales uplifts on tracks sung by X Factor contestants over the course of the series (comparing sales in the 3 days prior to X Factor performance v sales in the 3 days after)

Joe McElderry 2000%
Stacey Solomon 1130%
Olly Murs 665%