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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Apple today announced that the iTunes Store has reached a new milestone, passing 25 billion songs downloaded. Interestingly, Apple also announced that it has awarded a EUR10,000 iTunes Gift Card to the user who downloaded the milestone song even though the company did not run a high-profile promotion for the contest as it has for past music and app milestones.
The 25 billionth song, "Monkey Drums" (Goksel Vancin Remix) by Chase Buch, was purchased by Phillip Lüpke from Germany. As the downloader of the 25 billionth song, Phillip will receive a EUR10,000 iTunes® Gift Card.

"We are grateful to our users whose passion for music over the past 10 years has made iTunes the number one music retailer in the world," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. "Averaging over 15,000 songs downloaded per minute, the iTunes Store connects music fans with their favorite artists, including global sensations like Adele and Coldplay and new artists like The Lumineers, on a scale we never imagined possible."
itunes_store_killers-800x490.jpg
Apple notes that the iTunes Store now offers over 26 million songs and is available in 119 countries after December's expansion to 56 new countries.

Article Link: Apple Announces 25 Billion Songs Sold in iTunes Music Store
 

ouimetnick

macrumors 68040
Aug 28, 2008
3,552
6,341
Beverly, Massachusetts
One morning an Apple engineer was checking on iTunes stats. He noticed the songs downloaded was rapidly approaching 25 Billion. He gave his boss a call. Hey Eddy he said. We are approaching 25 billion songs downloaded. Wow! Eddy remarked. He was pretty excited and happy. He was just promoted and got a pay raise. "I'll let Tim and Phil know" Eddy said as he hung up the phone.

Tim and Phil were at the Apple cafeteria waiting in line for their sushi breakfast when all of a sudden Tim's phone started blazing out Green Day's new song, Fell for you. Phil, startled asked what that was. Tim exclaimed it is his ringtone that goes off only when Eddy calls. Tim answered and annoyed, asked Eddy "What now"? Tim had only had 3 hours of sleep from coming back from China. We are only minutes away from 25 billion downloads Eddy said excitedly! Thats great! Tim replied. This news put a smile on Tim's face knowing that they are reaching another milestone. I'll call you back when the 25 billionth song is downlo…We NEED a prize to give the guy Tim interrupted. Right said Eddy. We can just do a gift card like we have done okay? Thats good exclaimed Tim.

About 30 minutes later, the phone went off again. Tim knew what he was about to hear.
A guy from Germany downloaded a song called "Monkey Drums"… Thats the 25 billionth song. Tim slightly saddened mentioned that he wished it was a Green Day song or a Lady Gaga song that was the 25 billionth downloaded.

Tim sighed "Well, send the info to the PR department".
Will do Eddy said with enthusiasm.

Eddy happily hung up and called PR. We got 25 billion sings downloaded. It was Phillip Lüpke from Germany who has a fetish for Monkeys. He downloaded Monkey Drums. Issue a press release immediately. We are sending him EUR10,000 iTunes Card. He should be set for life on iTunes downloads. He said happily.

A PR was issued, and thus MacRumors reported on it.
__________________

25 Billion. Wow. The App Store is still climbing faster though.
 
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charlieegan3

macrumors 68020
Feb 16, 2012
2,394
17
U.K
Since using Spotify, I haven't bought music from iTunes in ages... maybe not even one song in the last year.. Still an impressive number though! :)

I was thinking I'd never have to buy a song on iTunes again but then there was this:
 

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iPusch

macrumors 6502
May 30, 2012
379
0
Manhattan, New York
Am I the only one who actually looked for the song on iTunes^^
WOW this song is sick thanks Phillip :D :D luv it

Haha okay, I facebooked him & he looks like a doc^^
OBVIOUSLY o_O but there are multiple Lüpkes ;)
 
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MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,368
8,948
a better place
Ok so that explains my credit card bill !!! ;)




____ edit

Though as a new user to Spotify here in Ireland (only launched a few weeks back here) I can certainly see myself using that service more than iTunes going forward. Apple needs to release it's similar style service soon.

I do love iTunes match though, although I'm dangerously close to going over the 25,000 song limit.
 
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Jugney

macrumors member
May 6, 2008
72
22
I was curious when their last milestone was, to see the rate of purchases on the iTunes store...a Google search revealed they announced 20 billion back in September.

That means it took them 11 years to sell the first 20 billion. And 5 months to sell a quarter again of that.

I would have thought it was slowing with Spotify and other services on the rise. But the above figures mean music purchases on iTunes are accelerating.
 

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
Whatever happened to the contests ?

Clearly they didn't feel that they needed some published contest to get folks to download music. After all, they got to this level without it.

Apps, books and perhaps movies/TV shows might need that kind of push. But not music
 

scharf10

macrumors member
Sep 2, 2007
62
0
I wonder how they calculate/choose exactly what song is purchased as the 25th billionth.

Surely there are so many songs being purchased at any one time, there is no time between clicks/downloads. Must just be loaded on to a big list.

That's one massive Numbers spreadsheet with all of the purchase history. :p
 

576316

macrumors 601
May 19, 2011
4,056
2,556
Since using Spotify, I haven't bought music from iTunes in ages... maybe not even one song in the last year.. Still an impressive number though! :)

I used to pay for Spotify but I soon realised I wasn't using £10 worth of songs each month to make it worth paying for. So I now only buy songs from iTunes/Amazon MP3 which I know I will listen to a lot.
 

panerista

macrumors G5
Oct 20, 2011
12,681
10,516
Austin, TX
Since using Spotify, I haven't bought music from iTunes in ages... maybe not even one song in the last year.. Still an impressive number though! :)

I was thinking I'd never have to buy a song on iTunes again but then there was this:

There is a boatload of great music you can't get on Spotify. I don't do a ton of purchasing, but it most certainly has its place.
 

nburwell

macrumors 603
May 6, 2008
5,434
2,351
DE
Since using Spotify, I haven't bought music from iTunes in ages... maybe not even one song in the last year.. Still an impressive number though! :)

While I haven't entirely stopped purchasing music from iTunes since I started my subscription with Rdio, I have noticed that I purchased less music from iTunes/Amazon because of it.

But nonetheless, still impressive.
 

r2shyyou

macrumors 68000
Oct 3, 2010
1,758
13
Paris, France
Clearly they didn't feel that they needed some published contest to get folks to download music. After all, they got to this level without it.

Apps, books and perhaps movies/TV shows might need that kind of push. But not music

Totally!...except for when they did have contests for music, as this article points out:

...even though the company did not run a high-profile promotion for the contest as it has for past music and app milestones.

1 Billion Song Contest: https://www.macrumors.com/2006/02/07/itunes-1-billion-song-contest/
10 Billion Song Contest: https://www.macrumors.com/2010/02/11/apple-rolls-out-countdown-to-10-billion-songs-promotion/
 

AngerDanger

Graphics
Staff member
Dec 9, 2008
5,452
29,001
Would somebody mind posting a short narrative speculating about how Apple's executives decided to release this story?

Edit: ouimetnick already addressed this :p
 

bobr1952

macrumors 68020
Jan 21, 2008
2,040
39
Melbourne, FL
Since using Spotify, I haven't bought music from iTunes in ages... maybe not even one song in the last year.. Still an impressive number though! :)

I use MOG and for the most part do the same--especially when it comes to iTunes. But since I don't own the music and with MOG, I would have to download all the music if I had to restore my phone--I like to save music--I do look pretty much every day on Amazon to see what is on sale. I still like to own music and have it to keep permanently--so I look for their $5 and under specials and do buy those that I want. Once in awhile I'll get something from iTunes but they don't usually have many good deals.

I'm glad iTunes is doing well though and glad that just about every major recording act is now in the iTunes store. :)
 
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