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n response to the official launch of Microsoftis MSN Music service this morning, Apple has taken the opportunity to remind people whois on top of the music download business. The company issued a statement obtained by The Mac Observer that says the score so far in this business is 125 million downloads for Apple through the iTunes Music Store, and 0, so far, for Microsoft. Apple also wanted to remind potential MSN Music customers that MSN Music downloads wonit be playable on an Apple or HP iPod. The statement from Apple:
Today the score is:
iTunes: 125 million songs downloaded
Microsoft: 0 songs downloaded
The iTunes Music Store is currently selling over 16 million songs per month (a rate of 200 million songs per year). How many songs will Microsoftis new online music store sell during its first month?
Compared to iTunes, Microsoftis music store currently offers only half the songs and is missing many features, but its biggest problem may be that its downloaded songs do not play on iPod, iPod mini, or the Apple iPod from HP ? the worldis most popular digital music players with over 50% market share.
That 125 million number marks the first milestone Apple has released since the company announced it had hit the 100 million mark in July.