Apple passes Walmart, number 1 in US music sales

Ars Technica managed to get access to unreleased data from NPD MusicWatch that shows that Apple is now the leading music retailer in the US, passing Walmart. Apparently the news was sent in an internal Apple email and Cupertino now controls 19% of retail music sales, against Walmart's 15% and number three Best Buy's 13%.

Needless to say, this is the first time a download retailer has taken the number one spot and represents a notable market share gain for Apple even since February. It will now be interesting to see if Apple can hold on to the top spot in the long run. In any case, this is a watershed moment and brings the mainstream death of the CD that much closer into view.

Update: Apple has since confirmed its position with a press release. "The iTunes Store became the largest music retailer in the US based on the amount of music sold during January and February 2008."

Thanks Nate!

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Source: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080402-apple-passes-w…

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Ars Technica managed to get access to unreleased data from NPD MusicWatch that shows that Apple is now the leading music retailer in the...

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Wicked Celtics

This is HUGE news. Kudos to iTunes.

April 03 2008 at 6:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

paul

I'm glad the article is true. However, this comment by Mat is very disturbing:

"it's particularly reasonable for us to link to a credible story at a respectable site, even if, in the end, it turns out to be flawed."

No, it's not reasonable. Being a blogger doesn't give you a free pass to be lazy. TUAW sometimes complains about not getting tickets to Apple media events. Start acting like a journalist and you might.

April 03 2008 at 4:49 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

3 replies to paul's comment

paul bradley

Regardless of being #1 or #2, I think this says more about dropping CD sales all over the US (including Walmart) than it says about increasing digital download sales.

April 03 2008 at 1:32 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Zoroaster

Man I'm sorry. I like this blog but you guys prove yourselves to be idiots over and over and over again. Every other blog in America is smart enough to point out that this was from one week in january when all the fanboys had their pockets full of gift cards.

As has already been pointed out, Steve Jobs himself considered the company to be in second place in February, so even he wasn't deluded enough to believe this meant anything.

Don't get me wrong, I'm an apple fan myself, but I just can't take this kid of blind fanboyism.

April 03 2008 at 12:29 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

6 replies to Zoroaster's comment

Eckofish

Those records where weekly market analysis focusing on the January period.

The same Janury period that people tend to spend spend spend on things like iPods, iPhones and the iTunes store.

So this data doesn't mean much at all. Especially since apple themselve annouced that they were thrilled to be the No. 2 retailer in mid February.

April 03 2008 at 12:10 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply