14 DAY TRIAL // iTunes seems to be the only service doing well for Apple, as Website Optimization has issued this report revealing that Apple's digital media player application has surpassed RealPlayer, as far as online streaming goes. That's a first, in case anyone asks. More than that, iTunes is also the only online streaming player that has seen a positive growth over 2007.
This is exactly how many users each big service out there sports, according to Website Optimization's charts:
- Windows Media Player - 75,865 - iTunes - 35,664 - RealPlayer - 27,565 - QuickTime - 12,787
As you can see, iTunes is now the second most popular service of its kind, just after Windows Media Player. The same source also reports a growth of about 26.8 for iTunes annually.
Using iTunes, users are able to organize their music into playlists within libraries, edit file information, burn discs, copy files to a digital audio player, purchase music and videos through its built-in music store, download podcasts, back up songs onto a CD/DVD, run a visualizer to display graphical effects in time to the music, and encode music into a number of different audio formats. iTunes also allows the users to choose from a large selection of Internet radio stations. iTunes also syncs media and data to the iPhone, much like the iPod.
iTunes is integrated with Apple's iWork suite of applications and the rest of the applications in iLife, in Mac OS X. These particular apps access the iTunes Library directly, letting users browse through to the playlists and songs stored within easily. This includes encrypted music purchased from the iTunes Store.
Those who have purchased an iPhone must use iTunes to select and buy a contract tariff, before the phone features may be used.
Steve Jobs' next keynote will certainly reveal more on iTune's growth and what the company's plans for the future are.