Fergie's Tech Blog

28 April 2003: Apple's iTunes Music Store Opens for Business

Via Wikipedia.

The iTunes Music Store is an online music service run by Apple Computer through its iTunes application. Opened on April 28, 2003, the Store proved the viability of online music sales. As of February 2006, the Store had sold over 1 billion songs, or more than 80% of worldwide online music sales. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by FairPlay, Apple's version of digital rights management.

It was also the first online music store to gain widespread media attention. Unlike previous services such as Rhapsody and MusicNet, Apple's store allows the user to purchase songs and transfer them easily to the iPod through iTunes. The iPod remains the only digital music player (besides some Motorola cell phones) that works with the iTunes Music Store, although some other digital music players work with iTunes.

The store began after Apple cut deals with all four major record labels, EMI, Sony BMG (which at the time was still the separate Sony Music Entertainment and BMG), Universal and Warner Bros. Music by more than 600 independent label artists were later added; the first was Moby on July 29, 2003.

More here.

Honorable Mention: In a true adventure saga, Thor Heyerdahl and five crewmates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki to prove that Peruvian natives could have settled Polynesia.

posted by Fergie @ 4/27/2006 10:01:00 PM