Apple Computer will launch a version of its iTunes Music Store (iTMS) in Japan by the end of this year, the president of Appleis Japanese division has told the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.
Yoshiaki Sakito, president of Apple Japan, made the announcement on Tuesday in Tokyo. Mr. Sakito confirmed that the company is currently in talks with major CD companies over the number of songs to be provided on the iTMS and their prices.
Japan is Appleis largest international market and the iPod digital media device has been a resounding success, capturing the top three spots among best selling MP3 players, according to Nikkei Market Access.
Since April 2003, Apple has sold music through iTMS in the U.S. and 14 other countries at US$0.99, or about 107 yen, per song. Apple announced in early March it had sold over 300 million songs online. In the U.S., the service features more than one million songs and more than 9,000 audiobooks.
An Apple spokesperson at its corporate headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. was not immediately available for additional comment. Appleis standard policy is not to comment on unannounced products or services.
| iTunes Music Store Key Dates | |
|---|---|
| April 28, 2003 | Apple Launches iTunes Music Store |
| May 6, 2003 | One million songs sold on iTMS |
| May 14, 2003 | Two million songs sold on iTMS |
| June 23, 2003 | Five million songs sold on iTMS |
| September 8, 2003 | Ten million songs sold on iTMS |
| October 16, 2003 | Apple & Pepsi launch giveaway of 100 million free songs |
| October 20, 2003 | One million copies of iTunes for Windows downloaded in less than four days |
| November 6, 2003 | 1.5 million songs sold on iTMS in one week |
| December 15, 2003 | 25 million songs sold on iTMS |
| March 15, 2004 | 50 million songs sold on iTMS |
| April 28, 2004 | Over 70 million songs sold on iTMS |
| May 5, 2004 | 3.3 million songs sold on iTMS in one week |
| June 15, 2004 | Apple launches iTMS in UK, France & Germany |
| June 23, 2004 | iTMS in Europe sells 800,000 songs in first week |
| July 12, 2004 | 100 million songs sold on iTMS |
| August 10, 2004 | iTMS catalog tops one million songs |
| October 14, 2004 | 150 million songs sold on iTMS |
| October 26, 2004 | Apple launches iTMS in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain |
| November 30, 2004 | Apple launches iTMS in Canada |
| December 16, 2004 | 200 million songs sold on iTMS |
| January 6, 2005 | Apple launches iTMS in Ireland |
| January 24, 2005 | 250 million songs sold on iTMS | March 2, 2005 | 300 million songs sold on iTMS |
| x xx, 2005 | xxx million songs sold on iTMS |