Apple's iTunes Music Store Has 80% Market Share

Music fans purchased and downloaded 1.5 million songs from Apple’s iTunes Music Store during the same period that Napster reported selling 300,000 songs during its first week of operation according to an Apple press release. More than 17 million songs have been purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Music Store since it launched in April 2003. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the iTunes Music Store had more than 80 percent market share of legally purchased downloads last week.

"During Napster’s first week of operation, the iTunes Music Store sold five times as many songs as Napster did—1.5 million versus 300,000," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. "The unbeatable combination of iPod and iTunes offers music lovers a seamless experience for buying, managing and listening to their digital music collections anywhere."