Apple 100,000,000 iTMS celebration 106
beef curtains writes "From Apple's iTunes Music Store Countdown page: 'When the number of songs downloaded from Apple's iTunes Music Store crosses 95 million, Apple will begin the countdown to 100 million songs by giving away 50 special 20GB iPods -- one to the purchaser of each 100,000th song downloaded between 95 million and 100 million songs. In addition, the person who downloads the 100 millionth song will receive a 17-inch PowerBook, a 40GB iPod, a gift certificate for 10,000 iTunes songs to create the ultimate music library for the iPod, and the opportunity to create a Celebrity Playlist to be published on the iTunes Music Store.' Check out the countdown on Apple's front page, and get ready to drop stupid amounts of cash on iTMS over the weekend. I'll see you in the ramen noodle aisle after the count passes 100 million!"
Most popular albums will have tons of songs (Score:5, Informative)
So bring on the iMixes with the most songs for $9.99. I recommend Rush in Rio, a live Rush concert featuring 31 rocking hits from Neal Peart, Geddy Lee, and Alex Lifeson for $17.99, that's only $0.58 per raffle entry and some great live rock to boot!
Re:Most popular albums will have tons of songs (Score:4, Funny)
*Buy This Album* [apple.com]
Re:Most popular albums will have tons of songs (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Most popular albums will have tons of songs (Score:3, Interesting)
So it looks like only the modest-sized iMix's can be purchased in a package, and you're still paying the 0.99 per song
Is that counter live? (Score:4, Interesting)
But seriously, much as I dislike the RIAA, its tactics and current copyright arrangements for music and films in general, it's nice to see a company other than Microsoft having some success for a change.
No, it is not... ;-( (Score:2)
function count(){ var num = 94778717;return num; }
does not look like too dynamic a function to me...
Paul B.
Re:No, it is not... ;-( (Score:4, Informative)
function count(){ var num = 94790014;return num; }
That's more than 10,000 songs since your comment was posted.
When I get home tonight I start wget! ;-) (Score:2)
Or maybe I'm just too bored at work today...
Paul B.
Re:Is that counter live? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Is that counter live? (Score:2)
suspicious numbers (Score:4, Interesting)
What happens when the reasonable rate begins to differ from the average real rate? It would probably be a bad idea for them to give out the actual data, which would be useful for competitors.
Anyway, either Apple is going to use the actual data, or they are going to use the fake data. I imagine they will use the fake data, because otherwise the 10^8 mile mark will come on the homepage at the wrong time. If they *do* use the fake data, you could theoretically increase the odds of winning to something like 1 in 2000 by picking the right five minute interval. If you were even smarter, you could time it to the second.
Assuming you're the only one to read this comment, of course. I wonder what the legal implications are?
Re:suspicious numbers (Score:1)
Re:Is that counter live? (Score:2)
Which is really what they want: a bunch of kids that want something for free, jamming on their F5 keys faster and faster DDOSing them every 50,000 songs sold
Re:Is that counter live? (Score:1)
So... Huh? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:So... Huh? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:So... Huh? (Score:1)
Re:So... Huh? (Score:1)
Re:So... Huh? (Score:1, Funny)
Entering for Free (Score:2, Informative)
How To Enter. You will automatically be entered into the Promotion by: 1) downloading a song from iTunes (any Free Download Single of the Week will be deemed an ineligible entry); or 2) a free alternative means of sending an email to Apple at itunes100@apple.com via the iTunes "Tell a Friend" feature (a song download or Tell a Friend email will be deemed an "Entry(ies"). The "Tell a Friend" feature can be easily accessed at iTunes b
Re:So... Huh? (Score:1)
Re:So... Huh? (Score:1)
Re:So... Huh? (Score:2, Interesting)
I read
Re:So... Huh? (Score:1)
Re:So... Huh? (Score:2)
They say they'll be posting official rules soon; if you really can't wait, look at a cereal box to get the general idea.
Re:So... Huh? (Score:1)
Re:So... Huh? (Score:1)
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa
Re:So... Huh? (Score:3, Insightful)
The other one is called the "Discovery Download," and can be found on the front page of one of the Genre sections (Alternative, Blues, Classical, Country, Dance, etc.) each week; apparently the idea is to give people a song from a genre they might not otherwise try, and help them discover something they might like (and just maybe, might buy). The "discovery" part of it may also refer to one's "discovery" of it in
Re:So... Huh? (Score:2)
anyone know when we're gonna get that in the UK?
or the charts?
dave
Re:So... Huh? (Score:4, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:So... Huh? (Score:1)
"Send in a 3"x5" index card.... (Score:2)
iTunes 100,000th Song Promo c/o Trash dumpster 1 Infinity Loop Cupertino, CA 95014"
iTMS where are you? (Score:4, Funny)
Somehow I'm getting more and more eager to get iTMS here in Finland, too.
Oh, well. It's not like they're giving away free iPods or anything.
No, wait..
Re:iTMS where are you? (Score:1)
Re:Hey you! (Score:1)
(Karma is cheap to burn on the first Finn thread I have ever seen
<Insert funny anecdote of Finland here>
Um? (Score:1)
But how many of those 95 million songs were actually purchased? Haven't they given away, through various promotions, a lot of songs already? I still question the commercial viability of the iTunes Music Store.
Re:Um? (Score:1, Funny)
You're right though, it'll never fly. This whole Internet thing is just hype too. I mean, how many people really spend all their time on their computer talking to other people on computers.
It is not suppose to be commerically viable. (Score:4, Informative)
And most of the 95 million songs have been sold. Apple and Pepsi stated only about five million songs were given away in the Pepsi contest (although there were 100 million chances to win). And that was the biggest promotion that they have had
It worked. (Score:2)
In the end, I'm very happy with my iPod, though. So I'm not complaining.
--
Re:It is not suppose to be commerically viable. (Score:1)
Re:Um? (Score:1)
I am wondering if this can be timed? (Score:3, Interesting)
Might work, huh?
Paul B.
P.S. Even if one does not want to actually risk their $$ on this game, a software to plot the chart would be still interesting to hack together -- by taking a derivative we will see if other people are trying to do this -- if yes, dN/dT should peak around 10,000*x
Well, I agree! (see my other post below) (Score:2)
Re:I am wondering if this can be timed? (Score:3, Insightful)
It's more like every five minutes, actually.
Re:I am wondering if this can be timed? (Score:3, Interesting)
If I were them, what I'd do is have the counter lag a random amount of time between 45 minutes and an hour. Since they appear to be selling between 100 and 200 songs a minute They'd get an extra 10000 song sales or so out of the promotion, and they'd make it incredibly difficult to win through prediction.
Depends on WHICH minute? ;-) (Score:2)
Paul B.
According to the data from this thread: (Score:3, Interesting)
it is 470 songs/minute RIGHT NOW. Wow, not bad at all they are doing!
(See the actual values and posting time)
Paul B.
Re:According to the data from this thread: (Score:1)
Re:I am wondering if this can be timed? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I am wondering if this can be timed? (Score:2)
Re:I am wondering if this can be timed? (Score:2)
(And you did beat me to plotting that graph!
Did you put it together after they announced the sweepstakes or was it always there, btw?
Paul B.
Re:I am wondering if this can be timed? (Score:2)
Might work, huh?
And then maybe Apple will be in the mood to issue duplicate prizes [museumofhoaxes.com] for automated winners.
Cute story, BUT!... (Score:2)
Paul B.
Re:Cute story, BUT!... (Score:2)
I was thinking about stuffing the entries through heavy automation, not simply using computers to make entries versus not using them. And I don't think there was anything wrong with the earlier automated entries either, but the merchant felt compelled to add prizes for public relations purposes nevertheless.
There were also cases of stores caught throwing away hand-written entries while attempting to throw away automated entries that worsened the already bad public relations. Imagine the pummeling Apple c
Re:I am wondering if this can be timed? (Score:1)
10,000 songs? (Score:1)
promotion not news (Score:1, Insightful)
So slashdot sinks to reporting company give-away promotions.
Re:promotion not news (Score:2, Insightful)
On apple.slashdot.org, everything Apple does is news.
For those interested in tracking iTMS sales.. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:For those interested in tracking iTMS sales.. (Score:1)
Bloody Apple (Score:3, Funny)
We'd be happy enough even just to have access to the iTMS - the competition would be nice too, but please at least let us use the store.
I really want that playlist (Score:2)
And we can only imagine what would happen if the GNAA got to control the playlist....
"my iTunes" (Score:1, Flamebait)
The interviewer asked her what she did in her spare time and she said something along the lines of: "I'm always listening to my iPod, always listening to my iTunes ".
I'm not sure why but I found this quite sad. It's as if, to her, the artists and even the music itself has lost any uniqueness or individuality. The songs are just a collection of different products on "my iTunes".
Re:"my iTunes" (Score:2)
Re:"my iTunes" (Score:5, Insightful)
In addition to the store, the term iTunes also refers to the software (very similar to, say, MusicMatch) that runs on your system and functions as a music player.
I'm pretty sure that she didn't mean "I'm listening to music that I have purchased through iTunes". She just meant that she was listening to the iTunes player on her desktop.
Re:"my iTunes" (Score:4, Funny)
seems like a stupid prize... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:seems like a stupid prize... (Score:2)
Oh, and Apple's also giving away a $2500 (or more) laptop. Even if you have an iPod, you can't beat that prize easily.
Re:seems like a stupid prize... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:seems like a stupid prize... (Score:2)
Re:seems like a stupid prize... (Score:2)
Re:seems like a stupid prize... (Score:2)
should be easy to predict (hopefully!) (Score:2)
Plotting a graph the sales over time seem very linear - it's a straight line at the moment. It's trivial to extract the value for the counter, although i'm not spilling the bea
Re:should be easy to predict (hopefully!) (Score:2)
my webpage worked perfectly. i had it open in the background and when the colour changed to yellow and then orange i was there. i bought a song when it was about 2,500 away, then at 1,000ish and then it came up as 98 songs away!! blimey, i was clicking like crazy.
It's now 97756 until the next one. Fingers crossed for everyone here! Good luck
If you can't make the target bigger (Score:1)
Why not have ten songs you want, that way you can cover a larger area when you buy. Sorta like finding a stack
Re:should be easy to predict (hopefully!) (Score:2)
Next time I will do as suggested and buy an album. Although, buying 50 albums at 7.99 each in order to win an iPod works out at 399.50 anyway.
Maybe, I'll stick with single purchases until around the 100 million mark.
No quite so easy after all... (Score:2)
Re:should be easy to predict (hopefully!) (Score:1)
The war is on full bore now (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm a shoo-in for the PowerBook... (Score:5, Funny)
Sorry to disappoint the rest of you, but that 100,000,000th song PowerBook prize is a good as mine!
Oh, and FISRT POST!!!11!!1!!
(losers!)
Re:I'm a shoo-in for the PowerBook... (Score:1)
Yeah, too bad you were post 59!
Re:I'm a shoo-in for the PowerBook... (Score:2)
Yeah, too bad you were post 59!
Like I said, I'm a shoo-in!
That PowerBook is as good as mine. As soon as Bill Gates sends me the money for forwarding his test e-mail out, I plan to purchase AppleCare for the PowerBook and maybe get an iTrip for the iPod.
OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! I CAN'T HARDLY WAIT!!!1!!!!!111
Hurry people, start buying the next 5 million or so songs so I can get my new PowerBook soon. I've already ordered a developer's
No iTunes here (Score:1)
What I'd like to know... (Score:2)
All this 'X songs / CDs /...<whateva> ' is just a bunch of "my dick is 0.01 cm longer then yours"-PR-sensationalism tricks. *Who buys such "crap"?*
Who was the first? (Score:2)