iPod, iTMS both number one in Japan
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Nov 16, 2005 at 11:52am
Apple says that the iPod and iTunes Music Store are both number one in Japan with the iPod market share at almost 60 percent, according to Business Computer News (BCN).
And 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. iTunes is the number one online music service in Japan and its library has grown steadily with the addition of dozens of independent labels.
“It has been a tremendous year for Apple and music in Japan with the opening of the iTunes Music Store and the introduction of the impossibly small iPod nano and fifth generation iPod,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, in a press release. “We’re delighted that Japanese music fans love the unrivaled combination of the world’s most popular online music store and the world’s best digital music players.”
Apple launched the iTunes Music Store in Japan on Aug. 4. In four days iTMS Japan sold over one million songs. With over 90 percent of the songs priced at ¥150 per song, the iTunes Music Store in Japan features a mix of local favorites and popular international artists.
“Consistently maintaining a market share surpassing 50 percent since September, Apple has grown to be the only winner in the portable audio market in Japan,” said Ichiro Michikoshi, editor-in-chief of WebBCN Ranking. “All eyes are on Apple to see how far it will grow its numbers in the holiday season.”
The iTunes Music Store in Japan features more than one million songs, 1,000 music videos, short films from Academy-Award winning Pixar Animation Studios, 11,000 audiobooks and 25,000 Podcasts. Since launchingt, dozens of labels including For Life Music, Geneon Entertainment and Dreamusic have added their catalogs to the iTunes Music Store. Newly added iTunes exclusives include tracks from Kazufumi Miyazawa, Zazen Boys, Motoharu Sano and m-flo, as well as international artists such as Stevie Wonder, U2, Coldplay and Björk. Exclusive music videos from the Beastie Boys and U2 are also available for purchase and download for viewing on customers’ PCs or fifth generation iPods.
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Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
