Apple Computer today (Dec. 2) launched its iTunes Music Store in Canada.
The Canadian version of iTunes features more than 700,000 songs, including exclusive tracks from Alanis Morissette, the Tragically Hip, Sarah McLachlan, Auf Der Maur, Delerium, Black Eyed Peas, Chingy, Toby Keith, Diana Krall and 3 Doors Down. “Push” from McLachlan and “The Love Song” from K-Os are also featured as exclusive videos.
Tracks cost 99 cents Canadian ($0.83) per song. Purchase and download of songs requires a valid credit card with a billing address in Canada.
The consumer features and usage rights are the same as those for the U.S. and European stores: Customers can play songs on up to five personal computers, burn a playlist up to seven times and transfer tracks to an unlimited number of iPods.
The move marks a busy year of global expansion for iTunes. Apple has also opened iTunes in the United Kingdom, France and Germany, as well as a single store that services Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
“The arrival of ITunes and their tremendous brand in Canada will complement very nicely the already existing legal services such as Canada’s own Puretracks,” says Randy Lennox, president/CEO Universal Music Canada. “iTunes will give the Canadian music buyer an extraordinary choice in helping us further open up the opportunity that is electronic music delivery.”
