As the Apple Turns: Scene 4794: 2 Million Songs Per Free iPod (7/1/04)

2 Million Songs Per Free iPod (7/1/04)

But let's not dwell on the downers, okay? After all, the iMac well running dry wasn't even the big news today-- or at least that's what Apple certainly wants you to think, because while the "Yes, We Have No iMacs" admission was understandably low-key, Apple isn't being the least bit subtle about the iTunes Music Store's rapidly-approaching 100 millionth song download. While the company had hoped (not "expected"; everyone keeps saying "expected" and it makes us lose our patience) to reach the nine-digit milestone by the store's first anniversary, a thoroughly botched Pepsi giveaway and a delayed European expansion put that goal out of reach, but now it's just two months later, and the song count has vaulted from 70 million to 95 million, meaning that the big One-Zero-Zero (-Zero-Zero-Zero-Zero-Zero-Zero) is probably no more than maybe ten days away. Ooooh, you can almost smell the excitement!

Really, smell it? It's kind of like... feet?

Oh, wait... that's us. Never mind.

Still, though, there is excitement in the air, due in large part to Apple's Crazy Big Giveaway during this momentous occasion. Faithful viewer Patrick tipped us off to Apple's press release announcing the company's plan to give away fifty-- count 'em, fifty-- 20 GB iPods, one to each person who downloads "each 100,000th song" between 95 and 100 million. And the lucky guy or gal who happens to download the 100 millionth song gets a prize pack fit for the gods themselves: a 17-inch PowerBook, a 40 GB iPod, and (tell us this isn't the coolest) an iTMS gift certificate for 10,000 songs. The winner also gets fifteen minutes of fame, in the form of "the opportunity to create their own Celebrity Playlist to be published on the iTunes Music Store." And here's the big news, people: "All iTunes Music Store customers in the US, UK, France, and Germany are eligible." That's right, this isn't one of Apple's typical US-only deals. We're not sure, but we think that may technically qualify as a bona fide miracle.

Meanwhile, Apple's home page is displaying a semi-live countdown-- er, countup-- which, at broadcast time, was only 25,000 songs shy of the 95 million mark. So get ready to get buyin', you. Faithful viewer sbi suggests that when you try to time your purchase to win an iPod or the whole enchilada, you buy John Vanderslice's song "Bill Gates Must Die," just to make the press release that much more entertaining if you succeed.

By the way, Apple's press release also happens to announce the latest iTMS download numbers for Europe: "iTunes will sell its 95 millionth song tomorrow, including over 1.5 million songs sold in the UK, France and Germany since iTunes was launched in Europe two weeks ago." So 800,000 songs the first week, and 700,000 in the ten days after that; accounting for an expected post-launch slowdown (after all the press at the media event burned through their free £15/€20 gift certificates), that's not bad at all. A settled average of half a million songs a week pales in comparison to the sales rate here in the States, but consider the market; prior to the iTMS launch over there, the UK bought 500,000 downloaded songs in five months-- and then 450,000 from the iTMS in one week.

100 million songs just days away, Europe taken by storm-- and thus is the next phase of Steve's master plan for world domination complete...

SceneLink (4794)

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The above scene was taken from the 7/1/04 episode:

July 1, 2004: Apple runs out of iMacs a couple of months before the new ones will be ready. Meanwhile, the company counts down to its 100 millionth song download, and scent researchers create the perfect perfume for the Mac lady in your life...

Other scenes from that episode:

4793: But At Least It's Dramatic (7/1/04) And July kicks off with a bang! Just think, here we were concerned that after the thrill ride known as June, from an Apple drama perspective this month would wind up relatively tame by comparison-- but here we are just one day in, and what do we get?...
4795: (Sniff) ...Eau De Genius Bar? (7/1/04) Just a quickie, here, folks, because this is far too weird to say much about, but there's no way we can let it pass without comment. The background info's going to seem so far off-topic it's six dimensions over and four parallel universes down, but bear with us, because it really is going somewhere, we promise...

Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast...


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