Apple today launched its iTunes Music Store in Japan, giving music fans the same innovative features, pricing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights that have made iTunes the number one online music service in the world. With one million songs priced at just ¥150 and ¥200 per song, plus Apple’s legendary ease of use and pioneering features such as built-in support for Podcasting, the iTunes Music Store in Japan is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. The iTunes Music Store is the number one online music store with over 500 million songs purchased and downloaded worldwide, and works seamlessly with iPod, the world’s most popular digital music player with over 21 million sold.
“iTunes and iPod are leading the digital music revolution,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO in the press release. “We are thrilled to be bringing the iTunes Music Store to Japan, and hope music fans here love it as much as others around the world do.”
The iTunes Music Store in Japan debuts with local favorites including iTunes Originals from globe and Ulfuls, exclusives from Def Tech, Crazy Ken Band, Chara, Little Creatures, Chie Ayado and The Complete B’z digital box set. Other iTunes exclusives released today include music from international artists such as U2, Jack Johnson and Björk, and over 10,000 audiobooks are available, including works by Japanese authors.
With iTunes 4.9, listeners have everything they need to discover, subscribe, manage and listen to Podcasts built right in. The iTunes Music Store in Japan is launching with a wide variety of Japanese-language Podcasts, such as InterFM, Sotokoto and Radio Nikkei.
In celebration of the iTunes Music Store launch in Japan, Apple is hosting live music performances throughout August at all four retail locations in Japan, including the new Apple Store Shibuya which opens August 6.
Apple today also announced the worldwide availability of early Abkco catalog titles from classic artists such as Sam Cooke and The Animals, as well as the Rolling Stones, making the iTunes Music Store the only online music service in the world to feature the complete digital music catalog of the Rolling Stones. iTunes is offering music fans worldwide the opportunity to pre-order a special version of the new Rolling Stones album “A Bigger Bang” with an exclusive bonus video.
iTunes for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Music Store and is available as a free download immediately from: http://www.apple.com/jp/itunes
Purchase and download of songs from the iTunes Music Store for Mac or Windows requires a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. Music fans in Japan have the option to use iTunes Music Cards for cash purchases on the iTunes Music Store. iTunes Music Cards are available at Sofmap, Yamada, BIC Camera, Amazon Japan, Kojima, Yodobashi Camera as well as through the Apple Store and Apple’s retail stores.
Sony can’t be happy about this…
Related articles:
Apple’s Japan iTunes Music Store debut more bad news for Sony – August 04, 2005
Report: Apple CEO Steve Jobs to debut iTunes Music Store Japan ‘in a matter of hours’ – August 03, 2005
iTunes Music Store Japan? Apple to hold ‘special music event’ in Tokyo on August 4 – July 26, 2005
Apple to launch iTunes Music Store in Japan this August – July 15, 2005
Sony grabs Japan flash-based music player lead from Apple ahead of Japanese iTunes Music Store – July 14, 2005
Reports: Apple to launch Japanese iTunes Music Store in ‘near future’ – April 13, 2005
Yes as you say and I think I heard the same elsewhere that it is the same server that supplies music to all stores across Europe.
Hopefully as Apple does gain market share as a whole and not just within the portable mp3 player market that extra clout may make it possible to buy from Apple iTMS stores in other countries.
Pricing has little to do with it as access is an issue and should be the one being given widespread attention.
This issue is not going to go away so I’m content to leave it there and just be glad to have an iTMS store as I am sure it would be worse, unlikely given the level of talent, not to have a iTMS store at all and only the rest of Europe having one with no access to any downloads at all from here in the UK.