Debunk: Apple iTunes now #1 music retailer in US? Probably not… yet.
The typically rigorous Ars technica claims to have intercepted an internal email sent to a few Apple employees yesterday. In it, Apple claims to be the number one music retailer in the US — a boast supported by that screenshot of an NPD MusicWatch Survey pictured above. You seeing what we’re seeing? Right, the data is from January 2008 and likely reflects people cashing in those iTunes gift cards and the giddy purchases made by new iPod owners. In other words, it’s a spike on the total sales picture in NPD’s weekly MusicWatch survey. Then there’s Apple’s own claim on February 26th that they were now the number two music retailer in the US. We don’t doubt the authenticity of the data shown, we’re just not ready to call Apple the #1 music retailer in April. Not until NPD or Apple makes it official anyway.
source:engadget