Apple today announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 200 million songs from the iTunes Music Store. The 200 millionth song was part of “The Complete U2” and was purchased by Ryan Alekman from Belchertown, MA.
iTunes has made it easy to give the gift of music this holiday season with iTunes prepaid cards that are available from retailers like Amazon.com, Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Kroger, RadioShack, 7-Eleven, Target, as well as Apple’s online store and Apple’s retail stores and offer $15 or $25 of music on the iTunes Music Store. Gift givers can also send iTunes gift certificates in amounts from $10 to $200 by email or regular mail, and can print out these gift certificates in color right on their computer for the perfect last minute stocking stuffer.
“iTunes has now sold over 200 million songs, making it the world’s number one online music store by far,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO in the press release. “We’re thrilled to be making music an even more popular gift this holiday season with iTunes and iPod.”
The iTunes Music Store features a holiday genre page with thousands of holiday favorites, including classics such as Ella Fitzgerald’s “Sleigh Ride” and contemporary favorites like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas.” The iTunes Music Store has also added Holiday Playlists to its collection of Celebrity Playlists, and users can view holiday playlists hand-picked by celebrities and with one click, own all of their recommendations.
With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for PC and Mac users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. 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.
More info about Apple’s iTunes Music Store here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple announced 150 million downloads on October 14, 2004. That’s 50 million in the last two months. Apple announced 125 million downloads on September 01, 2004 and 100 million downloads on July 12, 2004. So, the previous 50 million downloads took just over three months. Apple announced 85 million on June 08, 2004 and on April 28, 2004 announced that the iTunes Music Store had sold 70 million songs in the first year…
Here, a chart says it better:
Please remember MacDailyNews when you purchase your iTMS songs. Use the link below or the omnipresent link on the top right corner of all MDN pages to launch iTunes – as an iTMS affiliate, MDN gets a small percentage and you’ll pay nothing extra. Thank you:
MacDailyNews reader Tom Shaughnessy emailed us the following:
The number of days it took to sell increments of 25 million songs on the Apple iTunes online music store …
0-25, 231 days
25-50, 91 days
50-75, 73 days
75-100, 62 days
100-125, 52 days
125-150, 43 days
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple’s iTunes Music Store passes 150 million songs milestone – October 14, 2004
Apple launches iTunes Affiliate Program; 125 million iTunes purchased to date – September 01, 2004
Apple’s iTunes Music Store sells 100 millionth song – July 12, 2004
Over 85 million songs downloaded from Apple’s iTunes Music Store – June 08, 2004
Apple launches 3G iTunes Music Store, sold over 70 million songs in first year – April 28, 2004
Apple’s iTunes Music Store milestone: over 50 million songs sold – March 15, 2004
Apple’s iTunes Music Store sells ten millionth song; averaging over 500,000 songs per week – September 08, 2003
iTunes Music Store hits five million songs sold; Apple to ship one millionth iPod this week – June 23, 2003
Apple iTunes Music Store sold 3 million songs in first month – May 29, 2003
iTunes Music Store sells over two million songs in first 16 days; over 4,300 songs added yesterday – May 14, 2003
iTunes Music Store sells over one million songs in first week; over 3,200 new tracks coming May 6th – May 05, 2003
Apple’s iTunes Music Store sells estimated 275,000 tracks in first 18 hours – May 01, 2003
Apple launches iTunes Music Store – April 28, 2003
bonanza
The hard part has always been to get moving to begin with. If all he music stores where Squares on the road. Apple took their square and rounded it off, and then polished it. Everyone else started pushing their squares.
My question is, what are the numbers for
Napster, Buymusic, Real, Walmart,music match,
As a side note Apple should allow others to start licensing fairplay. Of course I would wait until 500 million downloads or so first.
Much to Bill Gates’ & Steve Ballmer’s chagrin, iTunes is THE defacto standard.
I *loved* it when SJ was quoted saying (something to the effect of), “Apple & iTunes offers plenty of customer choice; it’s just that Microsoft doesn’t like the choices that customers are making.” Oooo, burn.
I think that the customers/buying public/’market’ has spoken very loudly and clearly: The Apple iTunes/iPod combo kicks ass!
Congratulations Apple, and here’s to another 200 million!
I agree with peragrin that Apple should license its fairplay, but under stringent conditions, maintainiing the quality of the experience so far.
Of course, another factor � and this being a very important one � is that whoever receives a license has to make their service mac compatible.
I might need correction here, but as far as I understand, no other service currently supports the Apple platform, and I see no reason for the existing services to gain a license untill such tie as their service meets the requirements set forth by Apple and the Music/Download experience retains its high standards.
“tie” should be “Time” � my bad
Hey MDN, looking forward to the chart.
It seems as though the iTunes adoption rate has been growing *exponentially* lately. Could it be because of all the iPods that Apple’s been selling recently??
Oh yeah, baby. I’m lovin’ it.
I’m personally a bit tired of practically 100% iPod news, but having switched in ’97 when things weren’t so great, I’ll take the good news in any form.
I htink I need help. This good news really does make me happy.
MDN support group?
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Well, I’ve done more than my share in contributing to iTMS’ success. Anybody else out ther bought a thousand songs? Maybe some guy from Finland?
Dismal. Apple should discontinue iTMS.
Way to go Apple! That’s over 5.5 million a week. I am up to 400 iTunes songs. It sure beats having to buy entire albums for only a few good songs! Fairplay won’t be licensed until Apple is either forced to by a lame legal action, or until the market matures to the point where microsoft has about 50% of the market share. For the time being, they will only license to hardware sources like Motorola.
Funnily enough, when Apple do decide to licence, I can see Real at the top of the list of most suitable vendors.
And if you want to give iTunes for Christmas, check over at Amazon.com for a great deal. They have a sale going right now where if you buy 4 $15 iTunes gift cards, you get a fifth card free. That’s only $60 for 75 songs. Or if you’re Scrooge, you can just keep all the tunes for yourself too of course.
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I’m with peragrin. I would love to know the numbers of the other music services, especially MS. Anyway to find out?
And the last 50 million (150-200) took 63 days at an average of 793,651/day.
The previous 50 million (100-150) took 94 days at 531,914/day.
The 50-100 mark took 123 days at 406,054/day.
At day 318 (the 50 million mark), Apple had averaged 157,233 downloads/day. Today (day 598, as you ask), the average is 334,448.
In other words, which ever way you look at it, Apple has increased the iTMS sales rate by around 100% in the last 280 days.
Calling Paul Thurrott for a totally lame-ass dipshit response�
Hey MDN,
Wow. That was quick with the chart. Thanx.
The ‘Sales Growth’ is looking good!
fandango,
Re: “Some of our competitors say that we are not offering people choice. We’re offering them choice, they just don’t like the choice the customer’s are making.” -Steve Jobs-
This can be seen and heard at the U2 iPod keynote, http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/specialevent04/ at time index 00:10:45
how long till the magic 9 zeros
1,000,000,000
sooner than we think eh =) can’t to hear the competitors comments about that
“just a fluke” LMAO
Tony Smith makes this statement in The Register:
“Indulging in a little statistical speculation, we reckon ITMS should hit 500m songs next June, assuming its growth continues at that rate it has through the past 12 months, showing the almost exponential growth it’s shown so far. At this rate, the billion-songs mark will be reached in November/December 2005.”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/16/itunes_200m_songs/
I am going to fill my iPod with Karen Carpenter and Judy Collins. Heck YEAH!!!!! I may even hum to coworkers! Why do birds friggin’ appear, Dave from Accounting, every time, you rat bastard, you are near!! Get the hell out of my cube so I can surf! And you smell like your armpits and coffee made an unholy union!!
I’ll tell you the REAL unholy union… Nacho Cheese Doritos and Riptide Rush Gatorade. WTF, I thought I was gonna die!
Try Andy Cap Hot Fries and Dr Pepper, YEAH BABY, spice.
Has anyone tries holiday spice pepsi? im getting prepped for the next iTunes/Pepsi promo!
DavidO said:
“…Anybody else out ther bought a thousand songs?..”
Yeah. I passed a thousand songs about a month into the release of the iTunes music store. I’ve slowed down a bit since, but I’m nearing 5k or so now.
It seems as though the iTunes adoption rate has been growing *exponentially* lately. Could it be because of all the iPods that Apple’s been selling recently?? – fandango
I think it’s a combination of reasons. Certainly it helps to have people who bought iPod buy iTMS songs, but don’t forget that iTMS itself expanded in several countries during that time. Broadening the consumer base can’t help but increase the number. Either way, things look very good for Apple.
“Has anyone tries holiday spice pepsi?”
Yup. Think “Cinnamon Pepsi.” That’s what it’s trying for…
It fails miserably. Yuck.