Might 5, 2003: Only a week after launching the iTunes Music Retailer, Apple reaches an unbelievable milestone with greater than 1 million songs bought.
Significantly notable is the truth that greater than half the songs bought are albums. This rapidly dispels fears that promoting tracks individually will kill the file business’s dominant format. As well as, greater than half of the 200,000 songs initially obtainable on iTunes get downloaded not less than as soon as.
“In lower than one week we’ve damaged each file and grow to be the most important on-line music firm on the earth,” says Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a press launch. “Apple has created the primary full answer for the digital music age — you should purchase your favourite music on-line on the iTunes Music Retailer, combine your favourite tracks into playlists with iTunes, and take your whole music assortment with you in every single place with the super-slim new iPods.”
It’s a roaring success for Apple’s latest enterprise!
iTunes launch breaks information by promoting information
When the iTunes Music Retailer opened, there have been no ensures it will work. File-sharing providers like Napster had fueled a growth in unlawful music downloads. Skeptics questioned whether or not individuals would pay 99 cents per monitor in change for a pretty consumer expertise (and a authorized transaction).
Though Steve Jobs satisfied the heads of the “Large 5” file labels — BMG, EMI, Sony Music Leisure, Common and Warner — to promote their music on iTunes, the execs remained involved the transfer would eat into CD gross sales.
iTunes Music Retailer turns into a shock success
The label chiefs expressed shock at iTunes’ speedy success in statements issued by Apple.
“Hitting a million songs in lower than per week was completely surprising,” mentioned Roger Ames, Warner Music Group’s chairman and CEO. “Apple has proven music followers, artists and the music business as an entire that there actually is a profitable and straightforward means of legally distributing music over the web.”
Common Music Group CEO Doug Morris additionally hailed the iTunes milestone.
“Our inner measure of success was having the iTunes Music Retailer promote a million songs within the first month. To do that in a single week is an over-the-top success,” mentioned Morris. “Apple undoubtedly bought it proper with the iTunes Music Retailer.”
To have a good time the information, Apple mentioned iTunes would add greater than 3,200 new tracks. (That included an unique track and music video by Coldplay.)
Inside six months, the variety of songs within the iTunes Music Retailer doubled.
iTunes downloads soar
Apple went on to obliterate obtain information, with the speed of gross sales solely growing. By December 15, 2003, the iTunes Music Retailer hit its 25 millionth obtain. By the next July, Apple bought its 100 millionth track. As we speak, Apple has bought north of 40 billion songs — though its technique has now shifted to streaming with Apple Music.
Have been you an early iTunes adopter? Depart your feedback under.
