TOKYO - In just four days, 1 million songs have been downloaded at Apple's new iTunes Music Store in Japan, the company said Monday.
Apple Computer Inc., whose iPod portable music player is a big hit in Japan, started its music download service in Japan last Thursday with 1 million songs.
The service is undercutting some of the online music services now available here. Most iTunes songs, which include international and Japanese artists, cost 150 yen, or $1.35, each, and about 10 percent of the songs cost 200 yen ($1.80).
Japanese are accustomed to paying up to twice that much, although the rates are slightly more than the 99 cents charged in the American version of the service.
Apple has not signed a deal with Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news).'s music division, which has some of the most popular Japanese singers and bands under its label. Sony Music Entertainment says it's still in talks with Apple.
Sony has been struggling to maintain profits and sales in its core electronics division in recent years. One of its biggest fumbles was falling behind the iPod in portable players with hard drives. The Tokyo-based electronics and entertainment company has powerful competing CD and MD businesses.
The iTunes service accounts for 82 percent of all legally downloaded music in the United States. Apple has sold 21.8 million iPods worldwide since it went on sale in October 2001, and has sold more than 500 million songs through its iTunes Music Store.
The iTunes music store is now available in 20 nations, including Japan, reaching 85 percent of the global music market, according to Apple.
Apple Computer Inc., whose iPod portable music player is a big hit in Japan, started its music download service in Japan last Thursday with 1 million songs.
The service is undercutting some of the online music services now available here. Most iTunes songs, which include international and Japanese artists, cost 150 yen, or $1.35, each, and about 10 percent of the songs cost 200 yen ($1.80).
Japanese are accustomed to paying up to twice that much, although the rates are slightly more than the 99 cents charged in the American version of the service.
Apple has not signed a deal with Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news).'s music division, which has some of the most popular Japanese singers and bands under its label. Sony Music Entertainment says it's still in talks with Apple.
Sony has been struggling to maintain profits and sales in its core electronics division in recent years. One of its biggest fumbles was falling behind the iPod in portable players with hard drives. The Tokyo-based electronics and entertainment company has powerful competing CD and MD businesses.
The iTunes service accounts for 82 percent of all legally downloaded music in the United States. Apple has sold 21.8 million iPods worldwide since it went on sale in October 2001, and has sold more than 500 million songs through its iTunes Music Store.
The iTunes music store is now available in 20 nations, including Japan, reaching 85 percent of the global music market, according to Apple.
