iTunes Music Store: a quarter billion served

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Apple today announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 250 million songs from the iTunes Music Store.



iTunes users are now downloading one and a quarter million songs per day, which is an annual run rate of almost half a billion songs per year. The iTunes Music Store is now available in fifteen countries, which together represent more than 70 percent of the global music market.



"When we launched the iTunes Music Store we were hoping to sell a million songs in the first six months?now we?re selling over a million songs every day, and we?ve sold over a quarter billion songs in total," said Steve Jobs, Apple?s CEO. "iTunes is leading the way into the digital music era and together with iPod is changing the way millions of music lovers find and enjoy their music."



The iTunes Music Store features more than one million songs from the major music companies and 600 independent record labels, over 9,000 audiobooks, gift certificates and exclusive music not found anywhere else online.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 31
    39 days to achieve the last 50 million - which is unbelievable in and of itself - but if Apple carries on this way (or rather, if we carry on purchasing this way), ITMS will reach a billion downloads sometime around the 22nd August.



    I'm no expert, but I suspect that may spell the end of the road for some of the smaller online stores.
  • Reply 2 of 31
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    Isn't it about time once again for some CEO of one of the other barely-a-blip-on-the-charts online music sellers to proclaim that Apple's business model will never work, that the "the people" want "more choices" (the kinds of choices that only being locked into a world of Microsoft-controlled Windows Media formats can provide), and that monthly subscriptions models are the wave of the future?
  • Reply 3 of 31
    [QUOTE]Originally posted by AppleInsider

    [B]Apple today announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 250 million songs from the iTunes Music Store.





    The crazy thing about that is that using the price in the uk for a song that would be £175 million!!! thats one hell of a money maker!!! i bet Bill Gates is kicking himself now.
  • Reply 4 of 31
    screedscreed Posts: 1,077member
    ...and the CEO of Sony Music and Glaser of Real Networks and that twit from buy.com and...



    2004 was the year of the iPod (because of its transition from popular product to cultural phenom)

    2005 probably will be the year of the iTunes shake-out as competitors wilt under the heat



    Screed
  • Reply 5 of 31
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    That's good news. Apple could see a spike in purchases because of the new low cost iPod shuffle.



    I think Apple needs more hardware offerings. I'm salivating over the possibility of a home unit and a car unit that is meant for permanent installations.



    The excitement doesn't really kick off until I have a way of playing my files everywhere and easily.
  • Reply 6 of 31
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    That's good news. Apple could see a spike in purchases because of the new low cost iPod shuffle.



    I think Apple needs more hardware offerings. I'm salivating over the possibility of a home unit and a car unit that is meant for permanent installations.



    The excitement doesn't really kick off until I have a way of playing my files everywhere and easily.




    Home unit = streaming from your home computer using AirTunes

    Car unit = iPod plugged into car stereo



    Apple partnering with various auto makers to include iPod connection options is where it will be at. I'm planning to get an iPod shuffle short term, but I still want a full fledged iPod down the road so that I have a portable way to tote all my music. Plug it in the car, unplug and take it into work or the house. That's why it's an "iPod". It's your portable entertainment peripheral.
  • Reply 7 of 31
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by AppleInsider

    Apple today announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 250 million songs from the iTunes Music Store.



    iTunes users are now downloading one and a quarter million songs per day, which is an annual run rate of almost half a billion songs per year. The iTunes Music Store is now available in fifteen countries, which together represent more than 70 percent of the global music market.



    "When we launched the iTunes Music Store we were hoping to sell a million songs in the first six months?now we?re selling over a million songs every day, and we?ve sold over a quarter billion songs in total," said Steve Jobs, Apple?s CEO. "iTunes is leading the way into the digital music era and together with iPod is changing the way millions of music lovers find and enjoy their music."



    The iTunes Music Store features more than one million songs from the major music companies and 600 independent record labels, over 9,000 audiobooks, gift certificates and exclusive music not found anywhere else online.
    [ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]




    Does this announcement make PowerBook G4s less likely tomorrow? Wouldn't Apple announce both at the same time? Increase the publicity each even achieved?
  • Reply 8 of 31
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sCreeD

    ...and the CEO of Sony Music and Glaser of Real Networks and that twit from buy.com and...





    I´d love to help them kicking them in their ... well, you know..
  • Reply 9 of 31
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Denmaru

    I´d love to help them kicking them in their ... well, you know..



    no it's better to watch their faces as they watch the sales rise!
  • Reply 10 of 31
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Quote:

    Home unit = streaming from your home computer using AirTunes



    Far too simplistic. Many of us audio heads don't want to stream from a computer. We want local storage that can be accessed from the computer when we chose. I want to reserve the right to listen to my tracks sans the need for a computer running in the back room.







    Quote:

    Car unit = iPod plugged into car stereo



    Yes and that's what my girlfriend does with her mini but that really isn't the best situation. The portables are meant to be portable. What if she forgets the mini or is using it at home while i'm on the road? The solution is clear. Multiple manufacturers are coming out with iPod interface kits that duplicate the UI as best as possible. Now imagine a permanent installation of a little "brick" sans LCD UI(not needed) using larger hard drives for more storage. Seems like the ideal situation for those firmly entrenched into the iPod way of music listening.





    Streaming and slogging your iPod around isn't going to work. Apple's going to have to work a bit harder to keep these heady iPod sales going.



    Frankly I'm no longer impressed with these type of press release. I'm concerned with what I can do with my purchased tracks and I want more options.
  • Reply 11 of 31
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    The Mac Mini oddly enough just happens to be the right size to fit into a single standard DIN slot. I believe some company is already working on doing car installations.



    Put the right interface on it for car use, and you could have your whole iTunes collection and iTunes itself in your car. Just pull into your driveway and sync up your iTunes collection via WiFi.
  • Reply 12 of 31
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by shetline

    The Mac Mini oddly enough just happens to be the right size to fit into a single standard DIN slot. I believe some company is already working on doing car installations.



    Put the right interface on it for car use, and you could have your whole iTunes collection and iTunes itself in your car. Just pull into your driveway and sync up your iTunes collection via WiFi.




    Apple could really help things along by offering

    minis without enclosures (i.e. just the guts without

    the aluminum front and sides). They could sell minis

    like this in lots of 100 to car installers.



    I can't think of an attractive way to mount the mini

    in a car wihout replacing enclosure with a new

    faceplate.
  • Reply 13 of 31
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by shetline

    The Mac Mini oddly enough just happens to be the right size to fit into a single standard DIN slot. I believe some company is already working on doing car installations.



    Put the right interface on it for car use, and you could have your whole iTunes collection and iTunes itself in your car. Just pull into your driveway and sync up your iTunes collection via WiFi.




    And what if you live in a flat or nowhere near your garage? Neat idea though.
  • Reply 14 of 31
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by e1618978

    Apple could really help things along by offering

    minis without enclosures (i.e. just the guts without

    the aluminum front and sides). They could sell minis

    like this in lots of 100 to car installers.



    I can't think of an attractive way to mount the mini

    in a car wihout replacing enclosure with a new

    faceplate.




    maybe a screen for a faceplate?!
  • Reply 15 of 31
    louzerlouzer Posts: 1,054member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    Far too simplistic. Many of us audio heads don't want to stream from a computer. We want local storage that can be accessed from the computer when we chose. I want to reserve the right to listen to my tracks sans the need for a computer running in the back room.



    Then, how about: iPod to home stereo. There, you've got storage and easy access. Or just burn all your music to CDs and get a CD jukebox!



    Yes and that's what my girlfriend does with her mini but that really isn't the best situation. The portables are meant to be portable. What if she forgets the mini or is using it at home while i'm on the road? The solution is clear. Multiple manufacturers are coming out with iPod interface kits that duplicate the UI as best as possible. Now imagine a permanent installation of a little "brick" sans LCD UI(not needed) using larger hard drives for more storage. Seems like the ideal situation for those firmly entrenched into the iPod way of music listening.

    [/QUOTE]



    And how would you get your music in there, if its permanent?



    Streaming and slogging your iPod around isn't going to work. Apple's going to have to work a bit harder to keep these heady iPod sales going.



    Frankly I'm no longer impressed with these type of press release. I'm concerned with what I can do with my purchased tracks and I want more options.
    [/QUOTE]



    I don't know. Wouldn't you rather have a setup where you'd have your music in one place, and pushing it to other devices, rather than having to buy a device for your home stereo, one for the car, one for the subway, one for jogging, and then still the computer to manage the whole set?



    I think Apple would only end up muddling their market, their mindset, and confusing the customers if they start offering up a boatload of different products for a set of different uses. And even if they did, there'd be people either moaning about something missing, or talking about how they're working on taking the iPod-HomeStereo edition and hooking it up in their car because it offers some kick-ass feature the iPod-CarStereo edition lacks. And don't confuse the CarStereo version with the iPod-SUV and iPod-PickupTruck editions, let alone the iPod-MoPed version.
  • Reply 16 of 31
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    I'm not really asking for a confusing array of products but I see a few distinct possiblities.



    Portable Players-



    iPod mini/shuffle- I think this market is fine as is. Keep the iPod photo at the high end but dreams of adding video are fallacious. Keep it simple stupid.



    Home Use-



    Set top box design. I'm not a fan of using my computer to stream media. Why use a general purpose box for something that can be done using specialized chips. In fact I think a STB would be popular if it was sub $500 and gave users the ability to store local video/music content. It would have ethernet and wireless capabilities as well as HDMI and optical output.



    Automobile-



    Plugging in iPods is a low cost option but I'd rather employ something with a bit more persistence. That would be a larger unit sans battery and LCD UI that plugs into my cars stock or aftermarket audio system. Being that the unit is semi-permanent it could be something that I sync up ever few weeks. It would be bolted in and larger than an iPod because it's running on a cars 12 volt system and not a battery. The drive would be a 2.5" drive.



    There are 3 distinct areas that Apple can deliver award winning product and expand the iPod universe. Hoping that the iPod remains "all things to all people" is a mistake I hope Apple doesn't make. If they do they'll go down as the laughingstocks of the 21st century. The iPods/iTunes lead is too big to lose and save face.
  • Reply 17 of 31
    tuttletuttle Posts: 301member
    Apple Is Doomed, Again!



    Clearly things are much bleaker than Apple is leading us all to believe.
  • Reply 18 of 31
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Tuttle

    Apple Is Doomed, Again!



    Clearly things are much bleaker than Apple is leading us all to believe.




    Hmmmm these type of articles always contain "half-truths"



    let's see...



    Quote:

    The main reasons for the iPod's success are its fashionable image and a cult-like following of users who evangelise the brand. The mere mention of its name conjures up images of cool, and an association with a group of people that have bucked the Microsoft trend and sided with the underdog.



    It seems rather difficult for journalists to let go of the Mac/PC debate. Here he assumes that every iPod user is a Apple proselytizing cultist. In fact, the iPod could not be as popular as it is without immense support from the minions of Bill Gates.





    Quote:

    Napster, Musicmatch, Tesco and the MSN Music Store all offer wma audio, a file format with which the iPod is currently incompatible. Although iTunes has a larger selection of music and is less expensive than its rivals on a per-track basis, the mass influx of competition can only lead to wma music providers reducing the cost of music to gain market share.



    Fallacy in its purest form. There is no economy of scale here and even if there were Apple would enjoy the spoils. What happens when you have AAC as the #1 format is that WMA becomes fractured with no player able to differentiate themselves enough to make a serious run at Apple. Imagine this is American Idol and you have the 3 Divas (WMA) splitting votes to allow another popular contestant to thrive because of the unification of his fanbase(AAC) you quickly see that neither Diva can break free until the others have died off or become sufficiently diminished.



    Quote:

    Without iTunes, the iPod's brand strength could start to diminish, as there are a number of existing and emerging players that could relegate it to a niche market. The Creative Zen Micro, for example, is more portable, and offers more storage, features and format compatibility than the iPod Mini. It also has the substantial backing of a proposed $100m marketing campaign.



    Weak Rory..very weak.



    Quote:

    This adoption of wma could have one of two outcomes. First, it could make the iPod the only digital audio player worth owning. Why, after all, would anyone consider buying a less well-known device when the all-conquering iPod does it all?



    Only "one of two outcomes" ??? Somehow I doubt that the ramifications of iPods supporting WMA forks to only two possible situations. I also doubt, given the total lack of credible information given, that this guy has an inkling of what WMA would do. This is science fiction of the worst kind.





    Too be fair this guy was probably told to write an article dissenting on the popular belief and enthusiasm of the iPod. He's not going to get attention by writing a "The iPod is great!" piece so inevitably every journalist out there has to create their dream sequence of the downfall of the iPod or whatever hot product is out there. Time will eventually catch the iPod but I seriously doubt that it will diminish in popularity soon. We're still in the cusp of change and the iPod will remain long after everyone forgets Rory's huff'n and puff'n.
  • Reply 19 of 31
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    That's good news. Apple could see a spike in purchases because of the new low cost iPod shuffle.



    I expect the really big market will be uni students who would have carried a USB memory stick. For nearly the same price they now get memory stick and MP3 player. In fact I think they'll get a lot of sales through that.



    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    Far too simplistic. Many of us audio heads don't want to stream from a computer. We want local storage that can be accessed from the computer when we chose. I want to reserve the right to listen to my tracks sans the need for a computer running in the back room.



    So you'd prefer to have the computer running in the front room? Personally I'd rather stream it from wherever I want to where I am and just have a remote.



    Even most basic devices are just a simple computer aimed at a single purpose, particularly at the higher end. Personally I'd rather run it through a single system, stream it wirelessly (or with wires). It should be mentioned there are already very high end servers and software packages aimed at managing audio throughout a household.
  • Reply 20 of 31
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    Quote:

    From Apple Is Doomed, Again!

    Consumers have historically been reluctant to invest in proprietary formats, favouring instead those that have wider acceptance. It follows that digital audio consumers, in spite of the iPod's current popularity, will migrate to devices that offer greater compatibility.



    1) iPods play MP3 files, the most popular music file format out there, way more popular than either AAC or WMA.



    2) iPods play music you can rip from your own CDs, as AAC, MP3, AIFF, WAV, and Apple Lossless.



    3) In exactly what sense does WMA have "wider acceptance" than AAC? That more also-ran music players are built to play it? That more also-ran online stores sell in that format, with WMA's usually stricter and certainly far-less uniform Digital Rights Management going along for the ride?



    What about acceptance in terms of use by consumers? To the extent that consumers do use WMA, it's probably only because, unlike Apple, Microsoft tries to rope people into WMA by offering nothing but WMA CD ripping in their media player.



    When users actually choose a format, not merely stumble into one by default, I'm fairly certain they choose MP3, AAC, and even things like Ogg Vorbis before they choose WMA, which ranks low in the sound quality comparisons I've seen. (Do we really care if maybe, in some tests, it's the least crappy of nevertheless still crappy sounding music at low bit rates like 64 kbps?)
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