iTMS Downloads Surpass 300 Million

[MacRumors]

In a press release, Apple stated that the total purchases and downloads from the iTunes Music Store have topped the 300 million mark.

Additionally, the store is now offering the exclusive single “Across the Universe,” which debuted at number 22 on the Billboard top 100 Singles chart despite being distributed only through the iTMS.

“We’re honored to offer “Across the Universe” exclusively on the iTunes Music Store with all proceeds going to tsunami survivors and their families,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Applications.

 

[swissmann]

How are the others doing I wonder? Good job apple.

 

[azdude]

Rate of sale is still increasing!

 

[Jerry Spoon]

Thanks for the graph azdude. I was wondering if sales were still as brisk as they have been.

 

[vitrector]

nice graph

was there not also a 250 mill press release? just another possible datapoint...

go iTunes, go

 

[coumerelli]

500 Million by year's end...any takers?

 

[tutubibi]

Rate of sale is still increasing!

...

But not by much.

Dec 16 - Jan 24, 50 mil songs = 1,28 mil a day
Jan 24 - Mar 2, 50 mil songs = 1,35 mil a day

I think it's slowly stabilizing to around 1,3 mil a day. For a next bug jump we would have to wait for new stores.

 

[wordmunger]

500 Million by year's end...any takers?

That's not much of a bet. At 1.35 million songs/day, it will only take 148 days to accomplish that, and there are over 300 days left in the year. Now 1 Billion by the end of the year, that would be an accomplishment!

edit: Tutubibi -- I think it's impressive that the rate of sales has climbed, even though we're now past the Christmas season. I think that means we'll continue to see that rate climb, maybe even to 2 or 3 million a day by the end of the year.

 

[iJaz]

And we still don't have it in Sweden...

 

[corywoolf]

That's cool....

no surprise to me at least, I wish it would hit a billion by years end. Oh well, guess thats pretty unrealistic. So is itms making more money then CD sales? I would guess not, but maybe someday.

 

[Trowaman]

good chart azdude, BUT, you have some errors. UK, France, and Germany was in may or june and Pan-euro store was in October. nice chart though.

 

[ASP272]

AWESOME! So I ask again, Why hasn't Metallica, Evanescence, and all the other hold out bands not joined up. It's now become ridiculous to say they want to "preserve the integrity of the album". Please! That just means you might have some songs that suck and you want people to be forced to buy them! They better jump on this band wagon before it totally leaves them behind. Until they get into a legal site like iTMS, they're just going to continue to get pirated, because nobody wants a CD collecting dust when they have all their music on digital players like the iPod! When will they ever learn? Isn't millions and millions and millions of dollars (based on iTMS sales) enough convincing to stop the insanity! OK, sorry about the rant, but I still can't believe any music company or musician(s) would not want to join after seeing the success of this format and the profits which can be reaped from it. Go Apple! Rock on!

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Good...

Now where is iTMS Norway...?

E.g.: Why can they sell Norwegian artists on iTMS in other countries but not in Norway... that really resembles a vacuum cleaner...

 

[the_mole1314]

I'd put my money down on 800 million by years end, 1 billion by MacWorld SF.

 

[MhzDoesMatter]

But not by much.

Dec 16 - Jan 24, 50 mil songs = 1,28 mil a day
Jan 24 - Mar 2, 50 mil songs = 1,35 mil a day

I think it's slowly stabilizing to around 1,3 mil a day. For a next bug jump we would have to wait for new stores.

Also, since when is a revenue jump of 6.9 mil a day over a month not that much?
(Completely ignoring the invisible relatively in your statement)

-Hertz

 

[ziwi]

Great success - I see it continuing unless Apple lets the industry jack up the prices and in turn has to go over the .99 per song.

 

[Dave00]

Subtle difference

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but is there a subtle difference here between the old numbers reported and the new? I thought the old numbers pertained to number of songs purchased, and new pertained to both purchased and downloaded. Obviously there's a lot of downloads of the Tuesday freebie songs. It'd be important to separate these numbers when estimating the health of the iTMS.

Dave

 

[john_satc]

thats great!
i bought my first songs through iTMS last night, J Los new album so I like to feel I have contributed towards that

 

[Applespider]

good chart azdude, BUT, you have some errors. UK, France, and Germany was in may or june and Pan-euro store was in October. nice chart though.

UK/France/Germany was 15 June (having checked to see the earliest iTMS purchased music I have)

I wonder if the billion (US rather than UK) by end of the year is an unofficial target? With the growth the iTMS is seeing (not including opening new stores), it might just be possible since if it slows down at 950m or so in December, they just have to announce what the prize for the billionth song will be!

And all those new iPod owners at Christmas may still be transferring current CDs primarily rather than downloading. Even my mother asked me how to go about buying albums and she doesn't own an iPod!

 

[TheMasin9]

ill go

500 Million by year's end...any takers?

Fo sho. Ill take that bet, and raise you 50 mil. actually, ill bet we see 600 mil by the end of 2005. that is kinda hard to fathom, 600 million songs by the end of 2005. but at a million songs a day+ its very very possible.

 

[benpatient]

that Tsunami song was one of the worst things I've ever heard. It was so awkward and forced.

that line about "despite only being available for download on iTunes" isn't actually correct.

CBS or whoever had it on their own website for free download, too. After you downloaded it (for free), you got an option to donate some money to the Tsunami.

This is all well and good, but where is the Worldwide Benefit Concert for Sudan?

 

[SiliconAddict]

And watch it all come tumbling down if the RIAA has its way with price increases.

 

[tutubibi]

Also, since when is a revenue jump of 6.9 mil a day over a month not that much?
(Completely ignoring the invisible relatively in your statement)

-Hertz

...
edit: Tutubibi -- I think it's impressive that the rate of sales has climbed, even though we're now past the Christmas season. I think that means we'll continue to see that rate climb, maybe even to 2 or 3 million a day by the end of the year.

Don't get me wrong, I am glad to see iTMS grow. There is still huge untapped market in existing iTMS countries as well as expansion to new countries. So it will grow even further.
All I wanted to say is that growth rate is slowing down. We will not see 100% growth like when store went from Mac only to PC too.

 

[MacDanny]

The NUMBER

I think the press release meant "purchased and downloaded" to distinguish itself from "just downloads" which would include free songs or "just purchases" which would include gift certificates but not downloaded. Soooo I'm guessing Apple isn't playing games with the "purchased and downloaded".

 

[iGary]

I wonder if Napster is doing the math this morning...