Apple Computer Inc launched its iTunes online music store in Japan on Thursday, bringing its leading download service to the world's second-largest music market by album sales.
Apple has sold more than 500 million songs in 19 countries since it introduced iTunes in the United States over two years ago. The service has also been launched in Germany, Britain, France and other major European markets.
Japan becomes the 20th country and the first in Asia.
While iTunes by itself is not viewed as a big money spinner for Apple, it has helped drive sales of its iPod portable music players. This is because the iTunes service and related software offer iPod owners an easy way to download music, store it on their PC and then transfer it to the iPod device for playback.
The California-based company said iTunes would charge 150 yen ($1.35) each for 90 percent of its songs and 200 yen for the other 10 percent, undercutting existing services such as Sony Corp's Mora, which charges 210 yen per song.
At least 15 Japanese companies including Avex Group Holdings Inc will provide music for the iTunes store, Apple said. Columbia Music Entertainment Inc said on Thursday it would be one of the firms providing songs.
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