Hooooly crap. Apple’s the #1 music retailer in the US now.
I bet Amazon’s gonna creep up that list, though — the Amazon store’s had everything I wanted, is DRM-free and is twice the bit rate of the standard iTunes songs.
Apple (i’m looking at you, Mr. Jobs) — you have to humble yourself and make kissy-face w/ the remaining labels who aren’t allowing you to sell their stuff DRM-free. Amazon’s already at 6%, and they’re going to be catching up quickly.
Apple passes Wal-Mart, now #1 music retailer in US:
By Eric Bangeman | Published: April 02, 2008 – 10:45PM CTOver the past few years, we have watched Apple climb the music sales chart courtesy of the iTunes. Last month we learned that Apple passed Best Buy to become the number two retailer in the the US. Now, Apple has ascended to the top of the charts, surpassing Wal-Mart for the first time ever, according to the NPD MusicWatch Survey.
The news was announced in an e-mail sent this afternoon to some Apple employees, a copy of which was seen by Ars Technica. It includes a screenshot of an Excel file showing the top ten music retailers in the US for January 2008, and Apple is at the top of the list. The iTunes Store leads the pack with 19 percent, Wal-Mart (which includes the brick-and-mortar stores as well as its online properties) is second with 15 percent, and Best Buy is third with 13 percent. Amazon is a distant fourth at 6 percent, trailed by the likes of Borders, Circuit City, and Barnes & Noble. Rhapsody is in the tenth slot with 1 percent.