By Andy McCue, 25 January 2005 13:05
NEWS Apple has revealed that users of its iTunes online music store are now downloading songs at the rate of over a million a day.
The latest figures from Apple reveal iTunes has sold 250 million downloads since its US launch in April 2003 and subsequent launches in 14 other countries.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement that the online music store is currently selling downloads at the rate of 1.25 million a day.
"When we launched the iTunes music store we were hoping to sell a million songs in the first six months - now we're selling over a million songs every day, and we've sold over a quarter billion songs in total," he said.
iTunes has an almost 70 per cent share of the music download market, according to the last figures for the first half of 2004 from research group NPD.
Comments
There are 9 comments. Join the discussion
1. anonymous
I love the first line of the article: "Jobs claims..." Journalists need more intelligent skepticism (e.g. stating that a politician "believes" something when all we know is they have "said" they believe something). In this case it looks more like anti-Apple bias than learned skepticism.
2. anonymous
Perhaps you should direct your CIO Jury to this article pointing out that the iTMS music store is run on Apple hardware. Oh but wait a minute. Apple is 'irrelevant'. Nevermind.
DD
3. Youra Dork
well dipsh**t, the sales figures are all posted in their quarterly earnings, so you can the math yourself (you might get your teacher to help you cause the multiplication part can be a bit tricky for a 3rd grader). Apple is a publicly traded company, and numbers can't be fudged or people go to jail. Their sales curve is STEEP. I wouldn't be surprised if 1.25 million is actually conservative.
4. anonymous
I used to think the word "estimate" translated to BANKRUPTCY. This has been superceded by "CIO."
5. Richard
Sorry, I'm confused. Who's a dork and how are that loony's comments relevant? And why is he (yes, it's an adolescent male thing) scared to reveal his identity / location?
Thank you Silicon, however, for an editorial policy that allows us an occasional scary glimpse into the bizarre minds of these Apple Fruitcakes.
B?r! I gave him the attention he craves and his anonymous friends will all think I hate Steve Jobs and worship Bill Gate$.
Anyhoo - 250,000,000 downloads at a one cent (?) margin would mean $2,500,000 operating profit for the store so far. Not bad for a loss leader, eh?
6. Barry Hendriks
The only reason why I have iTunes installed is because CNN.com required it to view tsunami footage.
7. Alister
Is there intelligent life around here? First the article says Jobs "claims" the dowload figures. All the other stories I've seen on this issue report the figures as fact. If silicon.com has reason to doubt the figures, it should publish its rationale.
Then there is the abusive comment addressing you, or someone, as a "dipsh**t*. I would have hoped you withheld any comments using such language, as they do the debate no favours.
Next an incomprehensible blather about "estimate", "bankruptcy and "CIO". If they're referring to your earlier "CIO jury" story, they're certainly not clarifying the subject.
Then someone with the sheep-like assumption that because one person who seems to support Apple sounds like he's frothing at the mouth, that means all Apple supporters are alike.
And finally someone talking about iTunes the application, as if it's the same thing as the iTunes Music store.
Is this a sign that in the IT business few people bother to think?
I hope not...
8. bruce boomstick
I have an iPod and a PC. I'll probaly buy a Mac at some point. I won't get rid of my PC.
What's point of arguing over which is the best platform and hijacking every article to further your own agenda?.
I used to have arguements in the playground over which was better - the ZX Spectrum or the BBC B. I grew up and moved on.
Apple produce solid products that sell into a competive market - they may not be market leaders, but without them the world would be a duller place.
PC based platforms are king of the hill right now - but there not without flaws.
So come on get a grip. Steve Jobs says their doing a million downloads a day. That's dandy. Good for him. If it turns out not to be true, who cares?
Now everybody get back to work and stop web skiving.
9. Richard
Baaaaa, Alister you misunderstood me.
Nowhere do I make the "sheep-like assumption that because one person ... sounds like he's frothing at the mouth ...all Apple supporters are alike".
I'm glad you joined the debate and concur with many of your comments but you miss the point here. Forgive me for using a little subtlety and not nailing my colours to the mast. I am a huge Apple fan. Embarassingly so.
I assumed most of the Silicon readership is a little more imaginative than to leap to the conclusion that anyone who reprimands Apple nutters thinks all Mac users are alike.
But frothing at the mouth Apple fruitcakes do us all a diservice.
Hope you're feeling sheepish ;-)