“Apple Computer said Monday that it has sold 50 million songs from its iTunes Music Store — far below its goal, which was to sell 100 million songs by April,” Ina Fried writes for CNET News.com in the article entitled, ‘Apple falls far short of iTunes goal.’ “Apple says the 50 million figure excludes the number of unspecified songs downloaded through a Pepsi giveaway, which itself was designed to account for 100 million songs.”
“Apple chief executive Steve Jobs announced the goal of 100 million songs in October, when the company expanded the iTunes Music Store to work with Windows-based computers. Apple reiterated the goal in December when it announced that it had sold 25 million songs up to that point,” Fried writes.
“Although Apple did not reach the goal it set for itself in October, it did note that iTunes users are now downloading 2.5 million songs per week, which means the company is now selling songs at a rate of 130 million songs per year,” Fried writes.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This would all be very interesting, if it were true. However, unlike CNET, we are forced to let the facts get in the way. Fact number one is that until April 28, 2004, the one year anniversary of iTunes and the date Steve Jobs’ set for the 100 million song goal, Apple has not failed to hit its target. Fact number two, and this is the big one, is that Jobs plans to count the Pepsi redemptions toward the 100 million songs sold – after all they are actually songs sold. The songs redeemed are paid for by Pepsi.
Steve Jobs specifically stated, in explaining how Apple would hit the 100 million songs sold mark, “What are we going to do [to sell 100 million songs in a year]? We’re going to give away a hundred million songs. You heard me right. We are so proud to be partnering with Pepsi on this… So, a hundred million songs by April 28, 2004 – this is our goal – we’re going to Windows [with an iTunes version], partner with AOL, …and we’re going to give away 100 million songs with Pepsi… So, we think we’ve got a really good shot at selling 100 million legal downloads the first year.” See it for yourself during Jobs’ presentation from the Moscone Center in San Francisco during Apple’s “iTunes for Windows Introduction” on October 16, 2003 here. Jobs’ remarks on this 100 million song goal begin at 43:30 into the presentation.
Clearly, Jobs intends to count the Pepsi redemptions. These redemptions are not included in today’s announcement of over 50 million songs sold. And it is not yet April 28, 2004. Fried is wrong to pretend that Apple has not hit its goal. No one can know until April 28, 2004 and all of the songs sold are counted.
Related MacDailyNews article:
Apple’s iTunes Music Store milestone: over 50 million songs sold – March 15, 2004
Steve Jobs says Apple to sell 70-75 million songs by end of April – March 16, 2004
Damned FUD. What a bunch of hacks.
those f’ers always have a negative spin when it comes to apple. Not good journalism. You can bet they will re-hash this story on April 28th, and make big noise about a portion of the downloaded songs being ‘given away’. It’s so easy to predict their cheap attempts to belittle anything Apple does.
MDN: You’re picking nits, but you are correct. CNET should have said “Apple will miss their target.”
SInce Pepsi has botched the promotion, I don’t see how Apple could rack up 50 million bottlecap redemptions before the deadline. I’d be happy to be wrong, though.
And now BBC runs the same story:
“Apple misses music sales target”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3514178.stm
Journalism is about presenting the facts. Clearly they are just idiots.
as the black crowes used to say:
“jealous again”
Tell BBC to get their facts straight!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3281777.stm
I was under the impression that it Apple wanted to be moving 100 million a year, and not 100 in a year. As in not selling 100 million the first year, but to be selling enough per week in a year to be able to say they can average over 100 million a year, which they are well over.
Now Google is showing this article spreading around the world….
Email each and every outlet carrying the FUD story with a link to this article and demand a retraction. I have done so to CNET and BBC. Doing more in a second. Do this! It will make a difference and also make MDN quite famous worldwide!
Sure it was a mistake.
Ina Fried, the author of the CNET article, has written many other similar hack jobs about Apple for CNET. As soon as you see the byline, you know what’s coming.
Retractions are coming. I have emailed 4 outlets with the same crap story with a link back here to MDN refuting them.
I work for a large media outlet. If we get 5 emails on the same article, the Editor is obliged to review it. We could prompt retractions by emailing.
Oh, it looks like CNET has updated the article already:
http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5173115.html
Plush, I think you’re right. I think Apple DID want to be able to be at a 100 million song run rate per year.
But they also set a goal for themselves to sell 100 million songs in their first year as well.
KennyLucius: Only 30-40 million caps need to be redeemed for Apple to make the 100 million goal. Apple is currently at 50 million, and selling on average 2.5 million per week. If that rate stays the same, than by April 28 (6.5 weeks away), Apple will have sold, independently of Pepsi between 65-70 million songs.
I agree that Pepsi royally screwed the promotion. So far in San Francisco, I’ve only seen one store that has the promotional caps, and it was on the swine that competes with Sprite. But there is a chance that a 30% redemption rate might be hit, despite foul-ups.
Their false story has not been updated. It still claims a missed goal. I emailed the author as well as their other contact email addresses.
I hate the media.
http://www.macdailynews.com/comments.php?id=P2334_0_1_0
CNet is only trying to rain Apple’s parade. When you’re sponsored by the evil empire, you’re always going to FUDge the truth a bit.
Ah yes, only CNET (and maybe Thurrott) could spin this into a negative story about Apple. Yeah, iTMS is failing so badly that it only leads it’s #2 rival by a factor of TEN! If the iTMS is failing at 50+ Million downloads, what does that say for Napster’s 5 million, or the other pitiful numbers of their competition. Oh well, stories like this are precisely why I stopped reading CNET/ZDNET a long time ago…
hey guys, e-mail Apple’s iTunes and iApps PR Manager, MS. Liz Einbinder, and let her know about this: leinbinder@apple.com
And you’ll notice that at the end of the same article it tries to put Napster in a positive light with their increased revenue figures. At least she ledt out the MS propoganda line about AAC being proprietary and WMA being the only “open” standard.
Off Topic:
Why does MDN constantly make Safari crash for me? No other web site does this ever.
Dont worry , on April 27th, Steve will make one huge music pruchase (like 2 mil or so) to reach the goal, LOL =)
Actually, I have won three songs but have yet to purchase them. Ill do it soon., and in 6 weeks apple will have sold another 20 mil.
rageous:
MDN does that to my Safari as well!!
About half the time when I post comments on MDN, I get a crash.