iPod and iTunes Success in Japan

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Apple announced today (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/nov/16japan.html) that iTunes and iPod have almost 60% market share in Japan.

Since the launch of the iTunes Music Store this summer and introduction of the iPod nano and fifth generation iPod, market share in Japan has grown rapidly, solidifying iPod’s position as the number one digital music player in Japan by a wide margin.

Since its launch in August, Apple reports that dozens of music labels have added their catalogs to iTunes Japan. Among these include For Life Music, Geneon Entertainment and Dreamusic. Major music label, Sony Music Entertainment was also amongst the latecomers due to disagerements about the pricing.

[Ja Di ksw]

So I assume Sony caved in and went with Apple's flat rate? Otherwise I think they'd write more about it.

[Lacero]

Another win! Would this mean Apple's iPod sales will surpass Sony's MP3 players or have they already beaten down the champ? The nano must be a big hit in Japan. I can't see why not, and now with major labels signed with iTMS Japan, things are looking much more rosy.

[ibook30]

Absolutely Incredible.

Is it coincidence that Dr Q just returned from Japan???? :D

[Will Cheyney]

The iPod saved Apple. Plain and simple :)

[iCraig]

The iPod saved Apple. Plain and simple :)

Saved Apple from what?

[MhzDoesMatter]

Saved Apple from what?


From death at the hands of Gateway. Duh.

[baleensavage]

Now if only Apple would get some of the music on their Japanese store onto the American store, then all the fans of anime soundtracks in America could be happy...

[DTphonehome]

Eat it, Sony.

Failed miserably on your own home turf. Pathetic.

I'm really pleased that Apple is making all these electronics companies nervous. For so long we've had to endure miserable interfaces if you wanted the cutting edge. Sony's stuff is stylish, but they lock you into largely unpopular formats (Atrac? Memory Stick? MiniDisc?) and terrible computer integration. No wonder they lost the MP3 market, when they were the progenitor of portable music. Sony is lucky for the success of the PlayStation brand, or they'd be in serious financial trouble.

[mechamac]

Until then folks can buy Japanese iTMS cards from sites like jlist.com (http://www.jlist.com/). Having the music on the US iTMS is much preferable, but if you must have those songs now....(replying to baleensavage there)

[eva01]

YAY Geneon Entertainment

Go anime companies go ><!

[lopresmb]

that was really fast. pretty cool stuff.
I wonder if we'll see a similar result from Australia???

[SiliconAddict]

So when the heck is the rest of the world going to get access to this content?!?! IMHO this is what Apple should be focusing on right now. Screw video. I want access to all that content from Europe and Asia.

PS- OK don't screw video. . .

[SiliconAddict]

I wonder if we'll see a similar result from Australia???

Probably not without dem wascally Kiwis. :) I'm pretty sure there are a few New Zealanders on MR that would account for 90% of New Zealand and Australia sales. :D

[wilburpan]

At this point in time:
Rating (29 Positives; 1 Negatives)

Um, why would anyone rate this as a negative?

[legacyb4]

Great news to hear as Apple has now taken a strong position in a country where music sales traditionally suck due to high prices and the rental market.

Way to go, Apple!

[Hattig]

Shows that if a product meets what people want, they'll buy it.

Quite possibly the competitors should take a step back from their 'war' and work out quite what the iPod has that they don't. I don't think they'll like what they discover however. It's all about the package - hardware, software and services are all integrated together. If you have the best of breed in all of these areas (iPod, iTunes, iTMS) you are guaranteed to suceed. Especially since people are always going to buy what they hear repeatedly is good.

Sony ... hardware is probably quite good, but overly restricted DRM wise. The software ... well last I heard it was MusicMatch, so, err, well, the least said the better. I believe that Sony have their own music store, but how does it compare to iTMS.

To be fair, once you have iTMS it shouldn't take too long for a competing store to at least get up there featurewise and ease-of-use-wise. It's easy to copy.

[SiliconAddict]

At this point in time:
Rating (29 Positives; 1 Negatives)

Um, why would anyone rate this as a negative?

*shrugs* Does it matter?

[ludovico]

From death at the hands of Gateway. Duh.

oh yeah?

[wordmunger]

At this point in time:
Rating (29 Positives; 1 Negatives)

Um, why would anyone rate this as a negative?

Maybe they own iRiver stock....

[Thanatoast]

So when the heck is the rest of the world going to get access to this content?!?! IMHO this is what Apple should be focusing on right now. Screw video. I want access to all that content from Europe and Asia.

PS- OK don't screw video. . .Hear, hear! Bring on iTMS International. I'd even be willing to pay premium pricing (matching other countries' prices) if the content is good. And what easier and cheaper way is there to sell music internationally than through iTunes?

[pgwalsh]

I hope all the sales of the iPod and iTMS will result in more people purchasing Macintosh computers.

[camomac]

"Major music label Sony Music Entertainment was
also amongst the latecomers due to disagreements
about the pricing."

that sounds like great news for apple.
seems like sony has other problems on their
plates these days dealing with rootkits and
DRMs and such.

[pgwalsh]

"Major music label Sony Music Entertainment was
also amongst the latecomers due to disagreements
about the pricing."

that sounds like great news for apple.
seems like sony has other problems on their
plates these days dealing with rootkits and
DRMs and such.
Exaclty.. and they're going to get curshed on PS3 sales with XBox 360 beating them to the punch by a long shot. Not a good time to own Sony stock, but a great time to own Apple stock.

Now if Apple could step an offer a great home media hub... Something to the likes of MythTV, but networkable through an entire house with all the goodness of iTunes sharing and much more.

[baleensavage]

Hear, hear! Bring on iTMS International. I'd even be willing to pay premium pricing (matching other countries' prices) if the content is good. And what easier and cheaper way is there to sell music internationally than through iTunes?

Yeah. I'd love to see that, but with trade restrictions and the likes it's probably never going to happen. I do think that Apple definitely needs to do more cross-pollination of music on iTunes. They just need to work out deals with the record labels. It would certainly save us the trouble of trying to track down foreign gift cards or foreign credit cards.

[Doctor Q]

Is it coincidence that Dr Q just returned from Japan???? :DNo, not a coincidence. I personally brokered all these agreements.

OK, not really, but I did spot iPods everywhere in Japan. Every electronics district in cities I visited had stores with iPod sales racks in prominent places, usually right in the front facing the street, and I saw lots of people on the subways listening to music, including one fellow watching a Japanese video on a shiny new black iPod and laughing to himself out loud.

I found CDs to be rather expensive in record stores there, so the iTunes Music Store was clearly destined to be a popular source of music.

[DTphonehome]

Hear, hear! Bring on iTMS International. I'd even be willing to pay premium pricing (matching other countries' prices) if the content is good. And what easier and cheaper way is there to sell music internationally than through iTunes?

I can't even imagine the licensing headaches getting that to work. The current system is very piecemeal, with everyone wanting to get a slice of the pie. That's why it took so long to get the store up in other countries (and the US took plenty of negotiating as well). International raises a whole host of other problems. If only it were as simple as throwing a switch and allowing everyone access to one huge catalog. Remember, there's thousands of people in scores of countries who need to be negotiated with, many overlap in different countries, and everyone wants to make sure that they are getting the best deal possible.

[jnasato]

This is great!

I'm happy for Apple. ...and Japan. No more of: go to rental shop, rent singles, copy to MD madness!

[Thanatoast]

I can't even imagine the licensing headaches getting that to work. The current system is very piecemeal, with everyone wanting to get a slice of the pie. That's why it took so long to get the store up in other countries (and the US took plenty of negotiating as well). International raises a whole host of other problems. If only it were as simple as throwing a switch and allowing everyone access to one huge catalog. Remember, there's thousands of people in scores of countries who need to be negotiated with, many overlap in different countries, and everyone wants to make sure that they are getting the best deal possible.
Yeah, but wouldn't it be in their interests to do so? Some money is better than no money.

[Counterfit]

I think I might be buying some Japanese iTMS cards from j-list/j-box so I can buy some stuff from Geneon. Of course, Amazon has a better selection than it used to.

[asxtb]

Really not a suprise that the iPod is doing so well in Japan. As Doctor Q said, CD prices are very expensive in Japan and iTunes sells albums at about half the price. Also Sony's music store here is really expensive. So most people use iTunes. (It's a shame iTunes didn't come to Japan earlier.)

But also, Japan is an exremely fashion-centric society. People spend thousands on Louis Vuitton bags and wallets just to be fashionable. Right now the iPod is THE item to have, so people are flocking to the stores to buy them. Plus Japan has a "xenophila" towards America and American culture.

[iHavenolife]

Good next year by this time Steve will be showing the iPods market share in the WORLD instead of the U.S. just joking but you never know:rolleyes:

[rosalindavenue]

I dont think you can really be surprised about the country differences in itunes-- think about DVD regions. The media companies are conditioned to have distinct DRMs and revenue streams in different countries. I do think that Apple is one of the few players in this market who can possibly get DRM internationalized; but given the ineptness of the formerly formidable Sony, I don't think Apple will get anywhere either.