Apple opens EU iTunes Music Store, Canada in Nov.

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Shortly before Apple's special music event on Tuesday featuring Bono and The Edge from U2, the iTunes Music Store was updated with links to allow residents of nine new European countries to buy music online. In addition to the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, iTunes now supports Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. At long last, Apple also announced plans to bring the iTunes Music Store to Canada in November.

Apple first launched the iTunes Music Store in 2003 in the United States, and in June, 2004 brought the music download service to the United Kingdom, France and Germany. This latest move opens up iTunes downloads for many other member states of the European Union -- in fact, most of the original "EU15" states are now covered except for Sweden, Denmark and Ireland. Apple claims that the iTunes Music Store now reaches almost 70 percent of the global music market.

News source: MacCentral

Thanks to Copernic for the heads-up on this one!

#1 Chrisnet on 26 Oct 2004 - 20:56

Wicked!!!! It's about time

#2 burning_jonny on 26 Oct 2004 - 21:19

How much $CAN for tracks?

#3 aStRaLgOd on 26 Oct 2004 - 21:29

I'd say like #1, it's about ****in time!!!

(2 replies) #4 bidz on 26 Oct 2004 - 21:41

Heeey.. they promised to launch the Norwegian iTunes Music Store this time too!!!!.. Argh!!!!!!

#4.1 dp123 on 26 Oct 2004 - 21:46

No, they didn't. You read a rumor and believed it. Apple never said anything about Norway or this date.

#4.2 mr_da3m0n on 26 Oct 2004 - 23:15

Kenyaaaaa, oh kenyaaaaah

(1 reply) #5 Xtreme $niper on 26 Oct 2004 - 21:54

Like napster, they will most likely be .99 cents per song in Canada, which is like a steal considering americans get it for .99 cents USD. (should be about 60-70 cents US)

#5.1 tkyoshi on 26 Oct 2004 - 22:37

I think so too and they also have to compete with Puretracks which is also .99 cents a song.

Authough with higher exchange rate now .99 cents CAD is about .79 cents USD now however still quite a steal

#6 Hidea on 26 Oct 2004 - 21:56

ABOUT TIME!!!!!!

#7 Panorama on 26 Oct 2004 - 22:51

Bring on November. It's about damn time iTMS came to Canada.

#8 mr_da3m0n on 26 Oct 2004 - 23:16

About damn time...

I know these are becoming repetitive, but this is what crossed my mind.

(6 replies) #9 Sydd on 27 Oct 2004 - 00:13

About time!!

Sheesh. Canada one of the last while their neighours the US is first eh? Whats with that?

#9.1 nexx on 27 Oct 2004 - 00:24

"Canada one of the last"

There's more to the world that the US, Canada and parts of Europe...

#9.2 Sydd on 27 Oct 2004 - 00:37

I meant one of the major parts of the world.

#9.3 am_fek on 27 Oct 2004 - 01:41

What does Canada being next to the US have to do with anything? It doesn't matter whether Canada's next to the US or on the other side of the globe. Why would it matter?

The EU is the next logical market after the US, because the EU is the next biggest market. Why would they waste their time in a much smaller market like Canada before getting the bigger fish?

#9.4 aristotle-dude on 27 Oct 2004 - 05:07

Because we have a higher per capita level of computer ownership and higher standard of living? Because we've had ubiquitous broadband for years? Because we are the largest trading partner you guys have?

FYI, we do not live in igloos, nor do we use dog sleds to commute into work. Where I live on the west coast, it does not snow at all most years during the winter. Up until a week and a half ago, i was walking around with a tshirt on outside.

#9.5 Miran on 27 Oct 2004 - 06:05

QUOTE

I agree with you here.

FYI, we do not live in igloos, nor do we use dog sleds to commute into work. Where I live on the west coast, it does not snow at all most years during the winter. Up until a week and a half ago, i was walking around with a tshirt on outside.

What does this have to do with anything? No country is ever what the stereotypes dictate, but it is still those stereotypes that people identify with. People won't change their opinion of a country unless they travel to that country.. Fact of life.

#9.6 dp123 on 27 Oct 2004 - 18:13

But you also consume less music than Europe which is what this is about. You also "tax" hard drives because they could be used to store copyrighted material. You also have battled with Apple over this issue and the iPod.

I would say those are reasonable barriers to market entry.

Also, let's point out: Napster's worldwide expansion has stalled...maybe halted. Microsoft expanded fairly big, fairly quickly but with very little content and a beta site. OD2 is stuck in Europe. Who has expanded wider than Apple? Who has clearly stated their intentions to get to Canada, Australia, and Japan in time?

(1 reply) #10 koppit on 27 Oct 2004 - 00:39

damn it's about time... $.99 would be wicked, we'd be getting a steal over everyone else :p

#10.1 Mav Phoenix on 27 Oct 2004 - 02:15

Since most of Canada steals music anyway (legal?) I don't think it's a big deal.

(3 replies) #11 tsiris on 27 Oct 2004 - 00:54

With us in Europe paying an equivalent of US$1,26 it really is a steal! At least we can get the free songs

#11.1 am_fek on 27 Oct 2004 - 01:44

These comments are silly. Are you going to be begging Apple to raise EU iTMS prices when the Euro goes back down to $US0.80? I don't think so. Exchange rates don't count for dick, it doesn't matter if the Euro is at $US1.25 or $US0.80. That doesn't (typically) affect what 1 Euro buys you where you live right now. If the purchasing power inside the EU of $E0.99 is higher than the purchasing power of $US0.99 inside the US, then you're being comparatively overcharged. Otherwise, live with it. The foreign exchange markets have nothing to do with it.

#11.2 ATsirogiannis on 27 Oct 2004 - 02:44

I'm not paying for a subpar quality bitrate. If they don't provide options for music encoded in at least 256kbps I won't bother.

#11.3 aristotle-dude on 27 Oct 2004 - 05:14

Are you comparing 256kbs versus 128kbps "MP3" encoded from a "CD"? IIRC, these iTMS songs are encoded in AAC format from 24bit 96khz studio masters whereas a 256kps "MP3" you would encode yourself would come from a CD encoded at 16bit 44Khz PCM audio CD.

I read somewhere that AAC performs much better than MP3 at 128kps than MP3 and you lose a lot less dynamic range with ACC.

Ignoring differences between MP3 and ACC for a moment, consider the source material. If you start off with a ****ty source, you cannot expect to get a good encoding regardless of the bitrate you use.

#12 Astral on 27 Oct 2004 - 04:41

Seeing as the CDN dollar is just over $.80 USD now, individual purchases should be just over a $1 CDN. BOUT TIME! WOO!

#13 greg098 on 27 Oct 2004 - 04:59

ive never used itunes music store...is it in australia yet?

(1 reply) #14 ssvegeta384 on 27 Oct 2004 - 05:35

so...Microsoft gets sued almost weekly for owning too much, but Apple has almost 70% with one program (iTunes) and one peice of hardware (iPod), and nothing? Awesome.

#14.1 Astral on 27 Oct 2004 - 08:16

Apple beat them to the punch, plain and simple. Now MS is doing catch-up, but they also have the resources to do it - both financially and technically. I say give it some time, the race to a new revenue source is a harsh one, but it creates genious ideas...

(1 reply) #15 a_witko on 27 Oct 2004 - 08:52

Aww... When will there be an iTMS in Australia?

#15.1 Phillip on 28 Oct 2004 - 06:00

I want to know too. It was rumored to be yesterday

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