“Apple Computer Inc. said on Monday its new iTunes online music store in Japan sold over 1 million songs in its first four days, a strong start for the download service in the world’s second-largest music market,” Reuters reports. “Until Apple’s entry, Japan’s undisputed leader in online downloads was Mora, backed by Sony Corp.. Other services included those run by Yahoo Japan Corp., Excite Japan Co. Ltd. and Oricon Inc.”
“‘We’ve known that about (400,000 to 500,000 songs) per month is what all the other online music stores in Japan have been doing. The majority of that being Mora,’ Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of applications, told Reuters in a phone interview. ‘So the fact that we’ve already done two times that in the first four days is something that we are very, very pleased with.'”
Reuters reports., “Apple launched iTunes in Japan with songs from 15 Japanese recording companies including Avex Group Holdings Inc. and Columbia Music Entertainment Inc., as well as content from overseas labels. But Apple still hasn’t reached agreements with Japan’s largest recording firm, Sony Music Entertainment, Victor Entertainment Inc. and Warner Music Japan. Garnering the support of Sony is seen as key because of its stable of star Japanese artists including Ken Hirai and Puffy. ‘In all of our launches, we start off with a certain number of labels and then we aggressively move to expand that and we will certainly continue to do that in Japan,’ Cue said. ‘Obviously we are hoping Sony joins the music store soon.'”
Full article here.
Sony will come around soon. They’ll have to suck it up and sign on the dotted line.
Related articles:
Apple’s Japan iTunes Music Store sells one million songs in first four days – August 07, 2005
Apple’s iTunes Music Store offers Japan’s largest library; Napster plans April 2006 launch in Japan – August 04, 2005
Apple’s Japan iTunes Music Store debut more bad news for Sony – August 04, 2005
Apple launches iTunes Music Store in Japan – 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
Hmmm, in four days Apple is already 15 times as big as its nearest competitor? Are all these other companies just too blind to copy Apple model? Are they do dumb to improve on Apple’s offering?
Can you imagine the mood at Sony?
iPodDN is correct. In a short while, Sony will have no other choice but to join Apple’s iTMS. Meanwhile, we all see how small-minded and petty Sony can be and we’ll remember it.
OK, your an artist signed with SONY, Japan. You see that your not on the iTMS which has just doubled the monthly sales of all other online stores in just 4 days, would you say somthing? Thats alot of sales to not be a part of.
THIS POST WAS IN SUNDAY’S MDN ARTICLE
Apple is able to put pressure on Sony in Japan because they basically told them to go to hell. And you watch Sony come cap in hand to get a piece of the action.
Meanwhile in Australia we witnessed the company I so love and admire (and I don’t say that about any other company) blink when Sony stared them down.
Apple has little bargaining power in Australia because there’s no iTunes online music store. The only way Apple can get Sony to buckle in this country is to show them how much money they can make by selling online, and that means using the iTunes service.
Now I got called a lot of things last time and flaming was an understatement.
Some said I knew nothing about the Australian music market. I guess my 14 years’ experience in session work, playing in bands, promotion, management and finally working for the musicians’ union doesn’t count for anything.
Others thought I was being disloyal by criticising Apple. So one member of the Apple family offers criticism and I’m an idiot (as one poster put it).
Another person said I don’t have any idea about business. I guess 12 years’ experience in business education and business consulting account for my ignorance.
What I said was that Apple was being gutless for not taking Sony on and yet another person said I had little idea of the Sony.
Gee I got the hard push from Sony when trying to get outstanding wages paid to a musician. And they then threatened not to employ the musician again. I called their bluff and they backed down. That’s Sony.
They’ll get away with what they think they can get away with. The only way to get Sony onside is to take them on. And that’s exactly what Apple is now doing in Japan.
I wonder how long until they do the same thing in Australia?
Mindblowing.
TommyBoy:
I suspect your sentiment is correct, but your maths is probably a bit off…
The market currently does 500,000 songs/month in total which probably equates to 17,000/day. Assuming that Mora is responsible for around 75% of that would mean Mora shifting 12,350 tracks/day, or around 50,000 tracks in four days.
In four days, Apple has taken a 93% share of the market. So if Mora are shifting 16,000 tracks/day, they now represent 6% of the market, and – at 12,350 (which was 75% of the market last Wednesday) – they now have a paltry 4% of the legal downloads market.
If we assume the 4% figure, Apple are around 23 times larger than their nearest competitor, so – in answer to R’s post – I would imagine the mood is pretty bleak.
>Chiaki wrote: Meanwhile, we all see how small-minded and petty Sony can be and we’ll remember it.
>Chiaki wrote: Meanwhile, we all see how small-minded and petty Sony can be and we’ll remember it.
>Chiaki wrote: Meanwhile, we all see how small-minded and petty Sony can be and we’ll remember it.
CnP’d from the previous article…
YeeeeeeeeeeeHAW! This is awesome news.
America needs some wins in Japan to help even out this trade imbalance with one of our closest friends.
Japan owns so much of America (what we watch, how we watch, etc), it’s nice to see Apple march on into Japan and grab some market share. This is one instance I’d like to see Apple utterly dominate.
—
To Japan iTMS customers, check out:
Group: Ego-Wrappin
Album: Night Music
Song: 5月のクローバー
Group out of Osaka. Nice mix of jazz, r&b, soul, and stuff… This singer has got a cute, sexy voice. If anyone can translate the lyrics, that’d be awesome. My coworker said it’s very poetic. It sounds it. For a mere ¥150, the song is yours.
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CnP’d from the previous article…
YeeeeeeeeeeeHAW! This is awesome news.
America needs some wins in Japan to help even out this trade imbalance with one of our closest friends.
Japan owns so much of America (what we watch, how we watch, etc), it’s nice to see Apple march on into Japan and grab some market share. This is one instance I’d like to see Apple utterly dominate.
—
To Japan iTMS customers, check out:
Group: Ego-Wrappin
Album: Night Music
Song: 5月のクローバー
Group out of Osaka. Nice mix of jazz, r&b, soul, and stuff… This singer has got a cute, sexy voice. If anyone can translate the lyrics, that’d be awesome. My coworker said it’s very poetic. It sounds it. For a mere ¥150, the song is yours.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
CnP’d from the previous article…
YeeeeeeeeeeeHAW! This is awesome news.
America needs some wins in Japan to help even out this trade imbalance with one of our closest friends.
Japan owns so much of America (what we watch, how we watch, etc), it’s nice to see Apple march on into Japan and grab some market share. This is one instance I’d like to see Apple utterly dominate.
—
To Japan iTMS customers, check out:
Group: Ego-Wrappin
Album: Night Music
Song: 5月のクローバー
Group out of Osaka. Nice mix of jazz, r&b, soul, and stuff… This singer has got a cute, sexy voice. If anyone can translate the lyrics, that’d be awesome. My coworker said it’s very poetic. It sounds it. For a mere ¥150, the song is yours.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
Apple is kicking butt and taking names. Go Apple!
I just find it astounding that Apple and Sony can seem like such friends in many other areas of business, but when it comes to the Music Store…
I think that Apple has enough leverage in Japan to safely tell Sony to go fuck themselves. Sony’ll come around.
Here’s some crow Sony…. Eat it…
I wish I could buy some of those songs. I’ve sampled many songs, and now I’d like to get legitimate copies. Open the different music stores to international buyers, Apple.
Magic Word: figures.
“It figures I can’t buy music from the Japan iTMS…”
bikersrule-
Maybe Apple has been waiting to spank Sony on their own turf first so they can use it as leverage. If they can get them to sign on in Japan, everywhere else in the world shouldn’t be a problem. Just a thought…
I seriously doubt Apple is turning a blind eye to the land down under. Remember, Canada went through a similar ordeal.
bikersrule:
Good friends are those who aren’t afraid to tell friends the truth, even when the truth is hard to take. So that makes you a good friend of Apple, no matter what other people say.
Steve is a rarity in today’s business environment, a long term strategist. It may be that he was just falling back a little and waiting for this big victory in Japan. Once he had that, and a humiliated Sony coming to him cap in hand, he would be able to demand Australia in addition to Japan, and Sony would have to agree.
I know you all in Australia have waited a long time for your iTunes Store. I hope you get it soon.
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Dear g$
No, Apple blinked, and it was a bloody huge blink. They had all the advertising booked. My contacts in the industry said it was going to happen and poof…nothing.
The advertising was cancelled, my contacts were stunned and then over the next couple of weeks it leaked out in the media that one label was holding out. And guess who it was…SONY.
Dear Moth Maiden,
No, no no. They had the advertising for the launch booked. The media was primed. I had people from major acts who said it was going to happen, and then it was cancelled. Even bloody Russell Crowe opened his mouth and gave it away.
I maintain that SJ balked at releasing an incomplete service. And now we have an incomplete service released in Japan. I reckon I can’t say any more without breaking confidences. If Apple is going to make a mistake why does it have to happen in Australia?
Apple should take one piece of advice, do not under any circumstances release a New Zealand iTunes music store before Australia. It would be akin to opening a Canadian store before starting one in America. Not a good look!
Apple computers and iPods are the best in the world but I could care less about iTunes. The sound quality of the downloads is terrible. Why pay 9.99 for a lossy DRM CD download when you can buy the real CD with pamphlet and lossless for a few dollars more or for the same price used? Convienence? Amazon.com delivers in one day!
Dear Diamond,
You’re dead right about the download quality. My point is however is that Australians are being denied the right to make a choice over which way they purchase music. And the reason for this is because Sony dug their heels in over pricing and Apple rolled over in the face of such pressure.