Apple's iTunes Store sells 25 billionth song
Apple on Wednesday announced a newly achieved milestone for its iTunes Store, with the music outlet surpassing the 25 billion song mark.
In a press release issued Wednesday, Apple confirmed that iTunes users had purchased and downloaded more than 25 billion songs since the iTunes Store's introduction in April of 2003. The milestone was marked by the download of "Monkey Drums (Goskel Vancin Remix)" by Chase Bush.
The downloader of the 25 billionth song was iTunes Store customer Phillip L?pke of Germany, who will receive a 10,000-euro iTunes Gift Card.
Wednesday's announcement marks the seventh press in just over a month from the Cupertino, Calif., company ? a trend some describe as intended to counter the negative press Apple has received from some media outlets of late.
"We are grateful to our users whose passion for music over the past 10 years has made iTunes the number one music retailer in the world," Eddy Cue, Apple?s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said in the press release. "Averaging over 15,000 songs downloaded per minute, the iTunes Store connects music fans with their favorite artists, including global sensations like Adele and Coldplay and new artists like The Lumineers, on a scale we never imagined possible."
The iTunes Store has a catalog of over 26 million songs and is available in 119 countries. The digital download destination is available on Mac and PC, as well as iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
"In a lot of ways, iTunes has leveled the playing field for musicians," said Wesley Chultz, guitarist and lead vocalist of The Lumineers. "Whether you?re unsigned, indie, major, whatever?it?s the place most people go to buy digital music. iTunes doesn?t exclude any musicians simply because they?re not yet established or popular."
A key component to the success of Apple's original iPod, the iTunes Store emerged as the music industry struggled to deal with widespread file sharing. The Store, in combination with the iPod, essentially jumpstarted the legal digital download business and in time would come to be the world's largest music retailer.
As Apple's iPod ? and, later, its iOS platform ? grew in popularity, so did the iTunes Store. It took two years for the Store to hit the 500 million mark, but less than a year after that to reach one billion. A bit over a year later, Apple had sold three billion tunes, hitting the five billion mark just a year after that. iTunes hit the 10 billion song mark in 2010, and has moved 15 billion songs in the three years since.
In a press release issued Wednesday, Apple confirmed that iTunes users had purchased and downloaded more than 25 billion songs since the iTunes Store's introduction in April of 2003. The milestone was marked by the download of "Monkey Drums (Goskel Vancin Remix)" by Chase Bush.
The downloader of the 25 billionth song was iTunes Store customer Phillip L?pke of Germany, who will receive a 10,000-euro iTunes Gift Card.
Wednesday's announcement marks the seventh press in just over a month from the Cupertino, Calif., company ? a trend some describe as intended to counter the negative press Apple has received from some media outlets of late.
"We are grateful to our users whose passion for music over the past 10 years has made iTunes the number one music retailer in the world," Eddy Cue, Apple?s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said in the press release. "Averaging over 15,000 songs downloaded per minute, the iTunes Store connects music fans with their favorite artists, including global sensations like Adele and Coldplay and new artists like The Lumineers, on a scale we never imagined possible."
The iTunes Store has a catalog of over 26 million songs and is available in 119 countries. The digital download destination is available on Mac and PC, as well as iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
"In a lot of ways, iTunes has leveled the playing field for musicians," said Wesley Chultz, guitarist and lead vocalist of The Lumineers. "Whether you?re unsigned, indie, major, whatever?it?s the place most people go to buy digital music. iTunes doesn?t exclude any musicians simply because they?re not yet established or popular."
A key component to the success of Apple's original iPod, the iTunes Store emerged as the music industry struggled to deal with widespread file sharing. The Store, in combination with the iPod, essentially jumpstarted the legal digital download business and in time would come to be the world's largest music retailer.
As Apple's iPod ? and, later, its iOS platform ? grew in popularity, so did the iTunes Store. It took two years for the Store to hit the 500 million mark, but less than a year after that to reach one billion. A bit over a year later, Apple had sold three billion tunes, hitting the five billion mark just a year after that. iTunes hit the 10 billion song mark in 2010, and has moved 15 billion songs in the three years since.
Comments
Remember when they used to give away an iMac and ten iPods at these milestones?
And then it became a $10,000 iTunes card.
But it's not even announced now!
I guess reading the article is too much trouble for you?
The press release is an announcement.
And the 10,000 euro iTunes card is worth somewhat more than $10,000.
Originally Posted by jragosta
I guess reading the article is too much trouble for you?
The press release is an announcement.
… Announced as in image on the front page "Hey, we're about to hit [milestone]!" announced. You know, the way that actually sells more songs for a period of time leading up to it and the way they did it for a long time.
And the 10,000 euro iTunes card is worth somewhat more than $10,000.
Not in iTunes, it isn't.
Talk about transforming an important industry (and getting in front of music thieves).....
Kudos, Apple!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
… Announced as in image on the front page "Hey, we're about to hit [milestone]!" announced. You know, the way that actually sells more songs for a period of time leading up to it and the way they did it for a long time.
why would that increase sales? You're better off buying a lottery ticket. if you want music, you'll get it. No one is going to buy music so he/she can be the milestone buyer.
McDonalds stopped counting (externally) how many hamburgers they've sold overall in the nineties.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
I guess reading the article is too much trouble for you?
The press release is an announcement.
And the 10,000 euro iTunes card is worth somewhat more than $10,000.
I'll take the credit to buy Apple Hardware, Software and Third Party Hardware/Software over credits towards books, videos and audio.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Remember when they used to give away an iMac and ten iPods at these milestones?
And then it became a $10,000 iTunes card.
But it's not even announced now!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
… Announced as in image on the front page "Hey, we're about to hit [milestone]!" announced. You know, the way that actually sells more songs for a period of time leading up to it and the way they did it for a long time.
Not in iTunes, it isn't.
I agree.
Myself and many others would be spurred to purchase on iTunes more when the counter was on the website, especially knowing that the prize was so huge (relatively speaking).
Apple not making a big deal of this leading up to the 25 billionth, kinda makes me think they dropped the ball on it. Maybe no one was paying attention when they were at 24.9999999 billion? Maybe the milestones are happening so fast it's hard for them to keep up?
Originally Posted by jungmark
why would that increase sales?
The chance to win something. How is this even a question?!
No one is going to buy music so he/she can be the milestone buyer.
Really? You're sure?
Originally Posted by rcoleman1
Now all we need is higher resolution music files Apple!
Can 'resolution' be used like that? Also yes, they need to freaking sell me ALAC files.
Now, Apple does that every day-and-a-half! I see they hit 25 billion today and 20 B on Nov 19, 2012. Either Eddy Cue or me is wrong, but I calculate the rate at about 44,000 songs per minute.
I'd try to sell the iTunes credit for about 75% of face value and then use the cash to buy Apple hardware. But that's just me, maybe.
In Europe don't they use the "," instead of "." for the decimal point? That would make it only 10.000 Euros in American terms.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jungmark
why would that increase sales? You're better off buying a lottery ticket. if you want music, you'll get it. No one is going to buy music so he/she can be the milestone buyer.
McDonalds stopped counting (externally) how many hamburgers they've sold overall in the nineties.
That's because they realized they couldn't legally count those "things" as hamburgers.
On a more serious note, I bet you Apple's count of songs sold is more reliable than McD's count of burgers.
+1 and +1
Originally Posted by tjwal
In Europe don't they use the "," instead of "." for the decimal point? That would make it only 10.000 Euros in American terms.
It's the other way. We use the comma, they use the dot. Occasionally. "American terms" would be the comma.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
It's the other way. We use the comma, they use the dot. Occasionally. "American terms" would be the comma.
Just to clarify a bit more: In US/UK, it would be 10,000.00; in continental Europe, 10.000,00.
BTW, at the current exchange rate that €10.000,00 is equal to $13,527.65 (as of my posting anyway)
That's because "27 bazillion gazillion upmtillion" was too long to fit on the sign.
In reality, I suspect that it was because they decided that the mass production mentality was not the image they wanted to portray. They wanted it to look like your hamburger was specially crafted just for you.
Originally Posted by waybacmac
Just to clarify a bit more: In US/UK, it would be 10,000.00; in continental Europe, 10.000,00.
BTW, at the current exchange rate that €10.000,00 is equal to $13,527.65 (as of my posting anyway)
Wait, they use a comma at the decimal point but not at the thousands?
That's almost wiggidy-wack.