Commentary: Apple nears the half billion download mark on iTunes

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Jul 15, 2005 by Larry Fiorino

Last week, Apple's iTunes service announced that it is closing in on a huge milestone - the download of its 500 millionth song.

To mark the occasion, the iTunes Web site has installed a download counter that shows the number of downloads in real time. At each 100,000 interval, the customer that makes that download receives free iTunes cards. The person who downloads the 500 millionth song will receive a grand prize including free iPods, free iTunes and an exclusive concert with Coldplay.

As we prepare to cross this major milestone of half a billion songs, we want to thank our customers, the artists and the music labels who have helped make iTunes a global success, said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of applications, in the news release.

Apple has every right to celebrate the success of iTunes and the iPod music player. Apple has sold more than 15 million units, capturing 92 percent of the market for digital music players since its launch in 2001.

iTunes remains the dominant Web site for legal music downloads. iTunes features more than 1.5 million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent record labels, 10,000 audiobooks, gift certificates and exclusive music not found anywhere else online.

These successes have been reflected in the company's performance on Wall Street, as well. In fact, the iPod and iTunes have fueled a rise in Apple's stock. It is worth three times more now than it was just two years ago.

Many analysts say that iPod and iTunes have created a halo effect for other Apple products, turning traditional Windows-based users into Apple customers.

For more information on the iTunes store, visit www.itunes.com. But you'd better hurry. The 500 million mark is quickly approaching.

Larry Fiorino, the founder and chief executive of G1440, a Baltimore-based e-solutions firm, writes this column, Web Sightings, every week for The Daily Record. The opinions expressed are Mr. Fiorino's and not necessarily those of The Daily Record. He can be reached at 410-843-3800.