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Apple 100,000,000 iTMS celebration 106

Posted by pudge from the free-loot dept.
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!"
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Apple 100,000,000 iTMS celebration More

Apple 100,000,000 iTMS celebration

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  • Most popular albums will have tons of songs (Score:5, Informative)

    by amichalo ( 132545 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @06:08PM (#9587314)
    If you think of this like a raffle, there are $0.99 single entries, or multiple entries for $9.99 which are the ablums.

    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!

  • Is that counter live? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Ianoo ( 711633 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @06:10PM (#9587335) Journal
    The counter on the front page of Apple.com seems stuck at 94,767,325 no matter how much I'm refreshing. A live updater would be more handy ;)

    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.
    • From http://phobos.apple.com/external_counter.js:

      function count(){ var num = 94778717;return num; }

      does not look like too dynamic a function to me...

      Paul B.

    • Re:Is that counter live? (Score:5, Informative)

      by ruud ( 7631 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @06:51PM (#9587663) Homepage
      the counter is updated every 5 minutes. i created a page [ruud.org] showing a graph of the number of songs sold and the rate of sales.
      • You rock my small, self-centered universe.

      • suspicious numbers (Score:4, Interesting)

        by sdedeo ( 683762 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @08:16PM (#9588208) Homepage Journal
        The numbers seem very suspicious: that curve is decidedly linear. You would expect to see some variation, because of (for example) of the time of day. It looks like Apple picked some reasonable songs/minute value.

        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?
    • If it was real time, you could increase your chances of winning, by reloading the page more as it approaches $num % 50000 == 0.

      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

    • however if you click on that giant image, their is a counter that will be on the top right hand side of the page it takes you to that apears to be much closer to live...

  • So... Huh? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Apiakun ( 589521 ) <tikora AT gmail DOT com> on Thursday July 01, 2004 @06:10PM (#9587340)
    In order to download a track from iTunes you have to purchase it. However, this page [apple.com] states that "No purchase necessary". I'm sure the legal department said they have to throw that in, but how else are you going to win without purchasing anything? Pepsi bottle caps? Gift certificate downloads? The average person is going to have to buy something.

    • Re:So... Huh? (Score:4, Informative)

      by MindStalker ( 22827 ) <mindstalker AT gmail DOT com> on Thursday July 01, 2004 @06:17PM (#9587403) Journal
      They havn't published the offical rules yet, but they will probably allow you to send a self addressed stamped envelope which when you get it will be good for 1 pretend itunes purchase. Legally they have to do this in most states, though your chances of winning are greatly reduced when you have to send an envelope for each single purchase, especially funny considering it has to be self stamped 37 cents each way = 74 cents to get a fake itunes purchase, no music included, HAHA.
      • Right, well how would they even go about counting that? Do they have a guy opening envelopes and incrementing a counter somewhere ? I can see that for real contests, but not for something like this where a computer is doing the counter.
        • Probably sends you back a code like the pepsi free itunes codes, BUT you win this sound clip that they are giving away and don't care about or something like that.

      • Re:So... Huh? (Score:1, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Good idea. By the time the self-addressed stamped envelope reaches Apple, is piled up with tons other self-addressed stamped envelopes, filled by some poor mail guy and finally returned to you, the counter on Apple's site shows 100,000,001 songs have been sold. HAHA! :)

      • Entering for Free (Score:2, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward
        All you need to do to enter for free is use their "Tell A Friend" feature.

        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
      • Just checked - Apple has posted the official rules [apple.com] now. No mailing necessary actually. It says

        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 easil

        • So they are going to count "Tell a Friend" as a song downloaded, won't that kinda screw up the count. 100,000,000 million songs downloaded, or Told to Friends. Isn't quite the same.

          • Re:So... Huh? (Score:2, Interesting)

            by fscmj ( 757942 )
            I don't think thats how it works. An entry is a song downloaded or a "tell a friend email sent" but a download is a purchased and downloaded song. From the rules is says

            How You Win. Winners will be determined by the order of the Entries received. One 20GB iPod will be awarded for each

            Entry sent immediately following the 99,999th song downloaded, until iTunes reaches its 100 millionth Entry. (One 20GB iPod will be given away for the 95,100,000th Entry, 95,200,000th Entry,....99,900,000th Entry).

            I read

            • So ultimatly when the person who is the final winner at 100,000,000 it will be the entry marked 100,000,000 but not nessessarly the 100,000,000th song. That kinda sucks, as they can't legally offer anything cool to the true 100,000,000th song.
    • All commercial contests in the US have "No purchase necessary" to avoid being considered gambling. Normally you can send them a letter (usually with an SASE to get a game piece) to participate.

      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.

    • Remember that iTunes has a free song each week!
      • Two actually. There is an iTunes mix that lists every song they have given away for free. There are two listed each week. I know one shows up on the home page of iTunes, I don't know where the other one comes from. Here's the URL for that mix:

        http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/ viewPublishedPlaylist?id=47821 [apple.com]

        • Re:So... Huh? (Score:3, Insightful)

          by Blondie-Wan ( 559212 )

          I know one shows up on the home page of iTunes, I don't know where the other one comes from.

          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

      • Remember that iTunes has a free song each week!

        anyone know when we're gonna get that in the UK?

        or the charts?

        dave

    • Re:So... Huh? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by mstra ( 38238 ) <matt,stratton&gmail,com> on Thursday July 01, 2004 @06:40PM (#9587579) Homepage Journal
      The iTMS has a free song to download every week. So I suppose if you downloaded that and it was the winner...you'd win.
    • Prehaps the free song of the day counts?
    • ..with your Name, Address, and Telephone Number, along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

      iTunes 100,000th Song Promo c/o Trash dumpster 1 Infinity Loop Cupertino, CA 95014"

  • iTMS where are you? (Score:4, Funny)

    by Uninen ( 746304 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @06:11PM (#9587355) Homepage

    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..

  • When the number of songs downloaded from Apple's iTunes Music Store crosses 95 million. . .

    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)

      by Anonymous Coward
      They gave away next to nothing via the Pepsi Give Away.

      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)

      by MyNameIsFred ( 543994 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @06:43PM (#9587612)
      Apple has repeatedly said that they make very little money on iTMS. It is mainly a tool for selling iPods, where they make a ton of money.

      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

      • My music collection went from mostly MP3 to mostly M4P. When I decided to get a portable jukebox, I was limited to the iPod. (Decoding DRM'd music hasn't become user-friendly enough to make that an option.)

        In the end, I'm very happy with my iPod, though. So I'm not complaining.
        --
      • I believe that Pepsi paid for any redeemed Pepsi promotion songs, but cannot find the reference. If so, all the 95 million + songs were sold.
    • Most. Apple has consistently excluded songs given away via the Pepsi promotion as part of their sales numbers. But there are the weekly FREE downloads, which may or may not be counted. All toll though, I'd say a very large percent of the songs were sold, most probably as albums.

  • I am wondering if this can be timed? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by PaulBu ( 473180 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @06:15PM (#9587382) Homepage
    After the count reaches the required # of mils, observe the counter value vs. Time (maybe requires some OCR software to get the number from the GIF or whatever Apple used to prevent this type of thing), then try to make a best prediction when 10,000 mark is getting close and dump some cash in.

    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

    • whatever Apple used to prevent this type of thing)

      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.
    • there are about 8 songs purchased per second (as shown in this graph [ruud.org]), and the counter is updated only once every few minutes, so it's quite hard to predict it with any kind of useful accuracy.
      • Yes, my numbers, see above in this thread, give me about 7.8 songs/sec right now!

        (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.

    • Might work, huh?

      And then maybe Apple will be in the mood to issue duplicate prizes [museumofhoaxes.com] for automated winners.

      • This time the contest ASSUMES use of computers! And many people will be manually waiting for the number to reach certain level to press "Submit"... Why would not one to program his computer to give an audible buzz when it is time? ;-)

        Paul B.

        • 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

    • I bet it's delayed quite a while, maybe even a few hours to keep people from doing that.
  • i hope they include a fat pipe to the net to get them all ...

  • promotion not news (Score:1, Insightful)

    by solferino ( 100959 )

    So slashdot sinks to reporting company give-away promotions.

    • Re:promotion not news (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      > So slashdot sinks to reporting company give-away promotions.

      On apple.slashdot.org, everything Apple does is news.

  • For those interested in tracking iTMS sales.. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by sessha ( 656763 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @06:37PM (#9587562)
    A couple people over at MacRumors forums [macrumors.com] have created some simple tracking devices for sales since the counter has gone up. Check out some graphs here [ruud.org] and or download this [spymac.net] simple app (Windows and Mac OS X in archive).

  • Bloody Apple (Score:3, Funny)

    by mister_tim ( 653773 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @06:48PM (#9587633)
    If I didn't like their stuff so much, I'd be so annoyed that they keep offering such good competitions in the US and leave Australians (and many other places, I'm sure) out to dry.

    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.
  • Think about all the random stuff you could put out on that playlist. The Girl with the Vagina Made of Glass comes to mind(great song btw).
    And we can only imagine what would happen if the GNAA got to control the playlist....

  • "my iTunes" (Score:1, Flamebait)

    by Andy Smith ( 55346 )
    I was watching Wimbledon yesterday, and there was an interview with Maria Sharapova, the 17-year-old "next big thing" from Russia.

    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:5, Insightful)

      by egomaniac ( 105476 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @07:44PM (#9588026) Homepage
      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".

      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.
  • After all the customers of the itunes music store generally ALREADY have ipods :)
  • i've written a little webpage that tracks the counter value and displays how many song sales to go before the next 100,000 milestone. The background changes colour from green, yellow , orange and finally red when it's about time to get buying a tune. it updates every 60 seconds. Apple's counter appears to update every 2 to 5 minutes.

    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
    • well, the trend has continued pretty much as a straight line. a slight kink in it earlier this morning.

      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
      • Than use bigger bullets!

        Why not have ten songs you want, that way you can cover a larger area when you buy. Sorta like finding a stack
      • I'm an idiot. I didn't read the rules. Apparently the prizes are from 95,100,000 to 100,000,000. So, it didn't include the 95,000,000th song :-(

        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.
      • I've figured out what the kink in the trend is... it should have been obvious to me. It was the USA going to sleep. The sales slowed down when it was just the EU countries, UK, France & Germany left on their own. When the USA wakes up again the sales will accerlate back to their previous level again. When the EU goes to sleep the sales will slow down a little bit, but not as much as when the USA dropped out earlier. It's going to be interesting to chart this cycle overtime. Shame we can't get separate
    • How do you know that the counter is really "live"? They don't say what the delay is in the counter. It could be an hour for all you know, and then tonnes of people buy at the last second. To their dismay, the 100,000,000th song has already been sold an hour ago ;)

  • The war is on full bore now (Score:5, Interesting)

    by chia_monkey ( 593501 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @08:48PM (#9588420) Journal
    You gotta love this news. This comes out while Dell has their "trade in your old iPod for $100 off one of our mp3 player" deals. Sony announced their "we have a media player that isn't exactly mp3 but we plan on it killing the iPod" player. Microsoft no doubt wants to have their new device (whenever it comes out) unseat the iPod. It's a war out there, and Apple (who already holds the lead in market share of players) is upping the ante once again and rubbing everyone's nose in the fact they're about to have 100 million download. Wow...just wow. I wonder what the mp3 player and music download site scene will look like a year from now.

  • I'm a shoo-in for the PowerBook... (Score:5, Funny)

    by node 3 ( 115640 ) on Thursday July 01, 2004 @10:15PM (#9588916)
    Yes!!! All my practice at getting first post on slashdot will finally pay off!

    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!)
    • All my practice at getting first post on slashdot will finally pay off!

      Yeah, too bad you were post 59!

      • All my practice at getting first post on slashdot will finally pay off!

        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
  • Since Apple ignores Canada as an actual market, we don't have iTunes here. I can't win an iPod but I get my music free from P2P.
  • What I'd like to know, is exactly, how many consumers do they have?

    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"?*

    ... I mean, 100Milion 'songs' could be the equivilant purchases for 10 or 100 ppl what what all we know ..... *you get my drift? I hope*...

  • Does anyone know? Can anyone know? That would be a thing too,

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