Filed under: iTS
¡Tunes! Mexico iTunes store now open for shopping
My how you've grown, iTunes! Mexico now has its own iTunes store, giving our neighbors to the south the ability to download their favorite music, videos and iPhone/iPod touch apps.
It seems like it was just yesterday that Dr. Dre, Mick Jagger and Bono welcomed you into this world via iChat with Steve Jobs at an April 2003 special event. Now a little over 6 and a half years old, you've grown from what originally was United States-only operation to now include 77 countries.
You've morphed from what music executives privately said was "an experiment, which could be expanded if [proven] successful," to a juggernaut in the music market; at the time of its launch, music executives felt that Apple's small market share provided them less risk. And expanded it did: the iTunes "music store" is now the "iTunes store," with over 8 billion songs purchased and 1.5 billion apps downloaded.
Most songs in the iTunes Store in Mexico are priced at 12 pesos (a little over 90 U.S. cents as of August 4, 2009), and most albums at 120 pesos ($9.15 as of August 4, 2009).
To our friends to the south, mi iTunes store es su iTunes store!
(Note: the app store has been available in Mexico since its launch in July 2008)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MJZimmer88 said 1:50PM on 8-04-2009
So... if we're mexican we get everything 10% cheaper?
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Francisco said 2:24PM on 8-04-2009
Not quite, since Apple computers are about 10% more expensive here in México
Wintoon said 2:30PM on 8-04-2009
Yeah, you are also probably have only 20% of the money of your american counterpart, so if you take that into account we are actually getting the songs about 4 times more expensive than in the US!
Add to that the fact that you can get a CD with 200 songs in any street corner for 10 pesos (less than the price of 1 song in the apple store) and you have a winner!
MJZimmer88 said 2:54PM on 8-04-2009
I also forgot to take into account the fact that american songs are about 10% better than mexican songs...
Which to be fair also explains why iTunes in the UK is that much more expensive than in the US...
JoeB said 2:26PM on 8-04-2009
Viva Mexico!
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Gene Cowan said 2:42PM on 8-04-2009
Shouldn't that be ¡Ay! Tunes?
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Michel Cochegrus said 2:46PM on 8-04-2009
About time, even tough I have been using an American account with a Mexican credit card for a looooong time.
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Facundo said 3:26PM on 8-04-2009
are there any roumors about the rest of LatinAmerica?
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Luis said 3:40PM on 8-04-2009
finally!
But the songs should cost $10 mxn, like the appstore where the conversion is 1 usd = 10 mxn
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jc said 4:06PM on 8-04-2009
@Wintoon
Says who? An American who has never been to Mexico and believe the all of us are like the ones who cross the border? It is for people like you that many people around the world hate Americans, because you judge entire countries (and their people) without even knowing the reality of them... i don't, because I know many Americans who are great people, but truly not the majority of you guys
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puhsitch said 1:57AM on 8-05-2009
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that you just accused a Mexican of being prejudiced against Mexicans, and then generalized your misinterpretation of the individual's statement into a judgment on the majority of the commenters on this web site. Well played!
aleenm88 said 4:15PM on 8-04-2009
"you've grown from what originally was United States-only operation to now include 77 countries"
WRONG... the itunes store is just available to aprox 20 selected countries... the others only have an app store
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kyle brewer said 5:02PM on 8-04-2009
I wonder how this will fare in comparison to other markets, considering that there are estimates that 8 out of 10 physical CDs purchased here in Mexico are counterfeit. In addition, many originate from the tianguis in the barrio of Tepito in Mexico City.
I can walk a few blocks and buy any newly released full album for 10 pesos (about US$0.76 today). A trip to well stocked vendor can yield full discographies for a few pesos more. DVDs are also 10 pesos, with a full color cover and decent slim case. Keep in mind that these are most likely sourced from torrents or usenet, so the buyer has no guarantee of quality (bitrates, video sources, etc.)... but it's been good enough for your average Mexican music shopper for some time now.
There is certainly something to be said for convenience and quality standards, though.
Source for counterfeit CD claim:
http://www.tvazteca.com/hechos/archivos2/2006/11/140477.shtml
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Dave said 8:33PM on 8-04-2009
iCaramba!
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The Dude said 12:17AM on 8-05-2009
@jc - Take a deep breath and put down your outrage. Wintoon's not mocking Mexicanos or insulting teh Mexican economic situation. After reading his (her?) comment several times-due to the changing pronouns-I think he (she?) is FROM Mexico.
Don't let your pre-arranged oversensitivity to perceived stereotyping lead you into said stereotyping.
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Espogliare said 1:12AM on 8-05-2009
Yeah!!! Viva México!!!
And actuali im surprice that the songs werent more expensibe je je... correct that im happy!!! that the songs werent more expensibe je je
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Markkoekemoer said 1:36AM on 8-05-2009
Hey Apple, seeing as you're going south, wouldn't you mind stopping over in South Africa and opening a music store for us too? The app store is up and running already...(we're holding thumbs)
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Rafyta said 3:49AM on 8-05-2009
LOL check this shirt, being sold at http://nor-t.com
http://twitpic.com/cu5i9
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Jimm said 7:34AM on 8-05-2009
Well great... Still waiting to get it in Poland... :\
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Victor said 10:55AM on 8-05-2009
Finally! I don't have to cross the border anymore to get gift cards. :D I'm so so so happy!
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