Brief note: The New York Times is reporting that…
“In just its first month of operation the service, by the company’s estimate, has sold three million songs online, at 99 cents each,” reports Neil Strauss for The New York Times in an article entitled, “Apple Finds the Future for Online Music Sales.” We reported on this same article earlier today focusing on Apple’s current position in the driver’s seat of online music sales, but feel that the “official” number warrants a special highlight.
Full article here.
Bad news. That’s a 50% drop-off from the first two weeks to the last two weeks of the measured month.
Apple has to keep on adding music to their library of available downloads. You probably had an initial burst (which I was a part of) of people downloading songs. I bought a couple albums initially in the first week, but I haven’t looked at the ITMS in the last couple of weeks because there wasn’t anything that came out lately that I was interested in…..
How is this bad news? Did anyone actually believe they’d sell just as many tunes 3 weeks after the launch as the did at the launch? Everyone knows the hype created a rush to purchase at the beginning and that the numbers would inherently drop a bit.
Apple was hoping for 1 million sales in the first month. They tripled that. This is outstanding news.
Good News: For a niche of the computer market that owns a Mac -AND- running OS X -AND- downloaded iTunes 4 -AND- has highspeed internet access -AND- has a strong enough interest in one of the 200,000 songs offered to actually purchase it -AND- owns a valid credit card…
…THAT is a lot of downloads!!
If this were a survey of a small sample of the computer market to test a concept’s success, this would be indicative of a major cultural phenomenon if it were brought to the general population.
I hate people that say “Apple should…”. It is usually some rebaked idea that others are already doing. I think Steve and Co. are doing a great job by “taking the road less traveled.” I can’t wait to see what’s next… and Gates’ reaction with futile damage control by implementing lame promises.
> I bought a couple albums initially in the first week, but
> I haven’t looked at the ITMS in the last couple of weeks
> because there wasn’t anything that came out lately that
> I was interested in…..
Nothing’s come out lately? I can’t believe you perused/sampled the entire library in the first week, or even that you can keep up with the 2000-2500 new songs that are released each week. I think it’s time to broaden your musical tastes, boy.
Count me in as a new iTunes user and buyer when Apple comes out with ppc 970 powermacs. The current mac I use (8600/200) is too old for OS X.
– Mark
Where are The Animals and the “one hit wonders” compilations like ? And the Mysterians and such from the middle of the last century that as are currently available from independents like Rhino Records?
If you bothered to research, you’d know Apple is in negotiations with many indy labels right now.
Please read up before bitching.
Rhino Records, independent? HAHAHAHAHAHHA…. that’s funny. I wonder if Warner Music would be unappreciative of you giving them no credit for owning Rhino, or happy that you fell for whatever marketing ploy they use for Rhino Records.
another heavy sigh,
Another column from someone that knows nothing of the Mac. Apple did not remove Rendevous. I still have my Rendevous printer and iChat still works.
iTunes is fine how it is and definitely needs to avoid the kludge mentality of all of these alledged pundits and writers. The promise of ITMS is Mac like purchase of music. Apple would have to be stupid to start affiliate programs, hire reviewers and columnist and try to make what is a damn near perfect idea into some monster site. I just want to buy music.
Sharing and its problems only reflect society in general. I hope Sears doesn’t get sued because someone uses a screwdriver to kill someone. Lets not throw out the baby with the bathwater. Of course there will be those that abuse the feature. Prosecute them, don’t deny me access to what I own.
Apple is in the drivers seat. Combine this with an iTunes like application for managing video, call it iVideos, a Rendevous enabled TIVO and IVVS (iVideo Video Store), with a reasonalble price for a movie with reasonable rights management and it’s all over but the shouting.
This reviewer needs to buy a Mac and to remember that a computing experience shouldn’t be defined by how many affiliate links or popup ads can be forced on the user.
Cinque
No audiobooks…
I like Apple’s model with ITMS, but I think they are afraid of infringing on Audible’s territory. I will not buy audiobooks from Audible due to the limitations that they impose, and Apple is afraid of adding these to their service.
Browse Apple’s “Spoken Word” genre…nothing but comedy. They should just go ahead and rename this to “Comedy” and place a notice that they will never sell audiobooks.