News
Apple working to increase iTunes sales in Japan
Apple is pursuing new ways—including prepaid iTunes cards and free downloads at concerts—to increase sales at the iTunes Music Store in Japan. The company is also targeting consumers who commonly purchase mobile phone downloads. “Apple dominates the market for music downloads in the United States, but its iTunes online music store has about a 5% share in Japan, where most fans download songs onto mobile phones and many people prefer not to buy music online with credit cards,” reports Reuters. In Apple’s favor is the popularity of the iPod. According to BCN, iPods dominate the top nine slots of the latest digital music player sales ranking in Japan.
Related Stories
- Apple tweaks App Store with Editors’ Choice, Free picks
- Apple censors ‘jailbreak’ on iTunes Store
- Report: Siri APIs, Siri for iPad coming in iOS 6?
- Apple hit with class action suit over iTunes billing
- iTunes Match rolls out to several new countries
- Apple offers eBook settlement in Europe
Comments
If you have a comment, news tip, advertising inquiry, or coverage request, a question about iPods/iPhones/iPad or accessories, or if you sell or market iPod/iPhone/iPad products or services, read iLounge's Comments + Questions policies before posting, and fully identify yourself if you do. We will delete comments containing advertising, astroturfing, trolling, personal attacks, offensive language, or other objectionable content, then ban and/or publicly identify violators.
Recent News
- Pulp adds iCloud sync, new Home Page
- WordPress for iOS adds Push Notifications
- Sony launches Music Unlimited for iOS
- Apple device poll ends, computing poll begins
- Fruit Ninja adds new features and power-ups
- Apple to sell Nest Learning Thermostat
- Third-gen iPad to launch in Guam, Philippines May 29
- Apple tweaks App Store with Editors’ Choice, Free picks
- Panic releases Diet Coda
- Booq rolls out new Folio for iPad
Recent Reviews
- Pelican i1075 Hardback Case for iPad
- Skinit Skins for iPad (3rd-Generation)
- Spigen SGP Steinheil Ultra Optics Screen Protector for iPad (3rd-Gen)
- ZeroChroma VarioProtect for iPhone 4/4S
- BodyGuardz UltraTough Clear Skins for iPad (3rd-Gen)
- Wrapsol Original + Ultra Hybrid Protective Film for iPad 2/iPad (3rd-Gen)
- iBattz Mojo Removable Power Card Wallet
- dreamGEAR i.Sound Power View Pro S 2.1A Dual Charging Dock
- dreamGEAR i.Sound Universal Power View
- Sena Cases Florence Portfolio for iPad (3rd-Gen)
Recent Articles
- Removing music from iTunes after copying to iPod
- iOS Gems: Farm 123, Facebook Camera, Scribblenauts, Shoot the Zombirds + Virtua Tennis Challenge
- iTunes TV show size totals don’t match actual disk storage
- Consolidating Multiple iTunes Libraries
- Converting Purchased Videos to 1080p HD
- Find My Friends always reports home location
- Creating an iTunes Match library from an external hard drive
- Benefits of keeping apps in iTunes when using iCloud
- Recovering iTunes from an External Hard Drive
- Normalizing volume levels for Voice Memos
1
Open iTunes Japan to countries outside of Japan. That’ll increase sales.
Posted by Cad on September 11, 2006 at 12:52 PM (PDT)
2
Agreed. However, due to licensing issues, I don’t think Apple can do that. I do see more and more J-pop popping up in the US iTMS. iTunes Japan doesn’t have a great selections in the first place. Even with labels like Avex joining, the majority of their catalog is not in iTunes.
Posted by pata2001 on September 12, 2006 at 12:34 AM (PDT)
3
I buy off the Japanese store all the time, and I agree, it needs to be opened up. Seeing as how media savvy the Japanese are, this would also greatly benefit if some of the networks started putting TV shows up there. Okay, maybe not anime for whatever reasons… But maybe some eating shows or Matthew’s Best Hit TV would be nice… Hell, I’ll take a game show if they offered it.
The biggest problem itunes faces in Japan is that Sony has no music on there at all. I’ve got lots of artists that I’d love to buy off the Japanese store and I can’t because they’re Sony artists.
Posted by dvddesign on September 12, 2006 at 8:07 AM (PDT)