Apple Starts iTunes Online Music Service in Japan,..
TOKYO (Reuters)—Apple Computer
Inc. launched its iTunes online music store in Japan
on Thursday, bringing its market-leading download service
to the world's second-largest music market by album
sales.
Apple has sold more than 500 million
songs in 19 countries since it introduced iTunes in the
United States over two years ago.
While iTunes by itself
is not viewed as a big money maker for Apple, it has
helped drive sales of its wildly popular iPod portable
music player.
The California-based company said iTunes
would charge 150 yen ($1.35) each for 90 percent of its
songs and 200 yen for the other 10 percent, undercutting
some existing services such as Sony Corp.'s Mora, which
charges 210 yen per song.
At least 15 Japanese companies including
Avex Group Holdings Inc. will provide music for the iTunes
store, Apple said. Columbia Music Entertainment Inc.
said on Thursday it would also provide songs.
"We've got a lot of Japanese content
on the store and we'll be adding even more as the months
go on," Apple CEO Steve Jobs told a packed news
conference in Tokyo. "We think it's going to set
the standard for online music pricing in Japan." ....
