Apple Opens iTunes Music Store in Australia -- Much to the delight of some of our friends down under, Apple has finally opened a version of the iTunes Music Store in Australia. Reportedly, the delay was due to at least one of the big music companies holding out, and that may account for the lack of artists from the Sony/BMG label. Despite this, Apple claims over 1 million tracks, including a number of exclusives from Australian musicians, and over 1,000 music videos; that's about half the size of the U.S. iTunes Music Store. Also currently missing are TV shows, which undoubtedly require an entirely different licensing process. Prices are a bit higher than the U.S. iTunes Music Store, with most songs costing A$1.69, which is equivalent to US$1.28 at the moment, in comparison with the US$0.99 that U.S. customers pay for most tracks. Nevertheless, it's nice to see Apple finally serving Australian Mac and iPod users in this way. [ACE]

<http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/oct/ 25itms.html>