A Celebratory Milestone: Apple Marks 25 Million Downloads on iTunes
!A Historic Moment for Apple
Image credit: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
December 15: A Notable Day in Apple Chronicles
On December 15, 2003, nearly eight months after the inception of the iTunes Music Store, Apple took great pride in announcing a significant achievement—its 25 millionth song download.
Festive Tunes Take Center Stage
The milestone song that garnered this accolade? An entertaining rendition of “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” famously associated with Frank Sinatra, fitting perfectly within the holiday spirit.
iTunes Reigns as a Pioneering Music Marketplace
“With over 25 million songs sold and downloaded up to this point, there’s no doubt that the iTunes Music Store stands as the leading online music retailer,” stated Steve Jobs, Apple’s then-CEO. He highlighted an impressive trend where fans were acquiring approximately 1.5 million songs each week from the store—a staggering estimate translating to around 75 million yearly downloads.
Jobs’ projections demonstrated remarkable foresight; by July of the following year, Apple celebrated its sale of a staggering 100 millionth track—Zero 7’s “Somersault (Dangermouse remix),” acquired by Kevin Britten from Hays, Kansas.
In today’s digital landscape dominated by streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify, although billions of songs have been sold through iTunes historically, downloading has taken a backseat to streaming preferences.
The Landscape of iTunes in Its Early Days
Back in its debut year (2003), the catalogue available on the iTunes Music Store appeared limited by today’s standards—it boasted just over 400,000 tracks, each priced at 99 cents. This selection was sourced from all five major record companies alongside more than 200 independent labels eager to showcase their talent on this emerging platform.
Additionally, Apple experienced another victory with over $1 million worth of online gift cards and top-up allowances sold since their introduction just two months prior in October.
What do you recall as your inaugural purchase from iTunes? We invite you to share your thoughts below!
A Note on Song Attribution
While it is noted that Apple’s announcement mentioned Frank Sinatra’s version for “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”, it’s important to highlight that Dean Martin is often more widely recognized for his classic interpretation released earlier. This minor discrepancy sparks discussions regarding song attribution within corporate releases!