iTunes Video Takes the World by Storm: Today in Apple History

October 31, 2005: Less than three weeks after launching video downloads with iTunes 6, Apple announces that it has already sold more than 1 million music videos.

Apple's entry into the online digital video market – with 2,000 music videos, Pixar shorts and a selection of hit TV shows for $1.99 – seems like the logical next step after selling individual songs on iTunes. Crossing the 1 million download benchmark so quickly suggests the plan is a complete success.

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac You may receive a commission if you use our links to purchase items.

iTunes Video: A logical step

As with so much of what Apple has done over the years, the move to start selling TV shows and other video content came at the perfect time. YouTube was still in its infancy (so people were actually paying money for music videos). However, improved high-speed Internet access finally made video streaming possible for ordinary users.

It was around this time that I got my first broadband connection. Previously, it was completely impossible to download more than just a short video clip. Access to broadband was like traveling into the future.

Apple's long passion for video

Introducing iTunes Videos in 2005 seemed like a no-brainer for Apple. The company has a long history of allowing users to watch videos on their devices. Back in the 1980s, Apple experimented with demos like Steve Perlman's QuickScan, which enabled video playback on a Mac. In 1991, Apple introduced Mac users to QuickTime, which had long served as a standardized digital video tool.

By 2005, Apple was working toward a future in which it would produce mobile devices that would support video. This was crucial if downloading music videos and other material was to reach its full potential – just as the iPod was key to downloading iTunes music.

The iPod Classic with Video fits perfectly with iTunes

In October 2005, Apple released the fifth generation iPod Classic, with a larger screen than ever before. This introduced video playback on the music player for the first time. According to the biography Become Steve JobsThe Apple boss gave new Disney CEO Bob Iger the idea of ​​opening his shows to digital distribution by showing him the new video iPod.

“Would you consider putting your television shows on it?” Jobs asked. Iger answered in the affirmative without batting an eyelid.

Ultimately, Apple secured contracts to sell downloads of hit shoes like Desperate housewives, Lost And Grey's Anatomy. The music video offerings merged this new focus on video with Apple's existing deals with record labels. Videos from artists like Michael Jackson, Fatboy Slim and Kanye West helped iTunes surpass 1 million downloads.

All about context

Today, with top YouTubers and TikTokers racking up millions of views in days and music videos hitting the “Billion View Club” faster than ever before, it seems tempting to think that Apple would release a press release about getting 1 million music videos. Achieving downloads is surprisingly strange. However, it was big news at the time. This early success also laid the foundation for Apple's expansion into a completely new business area.

In the 2020s, Apple is moving beyond just distributing videos. With Apple TV+, the company now produces its own TV shows and films. The streaming service offers a variety of shows commissioned from Cupertino, all for $9.99 per month. It currently captures an estimated 8% of the US streaming market. Whether Apple TV+ ultimately beats Netflix or not, it all started for Apple in 2005.

Do you remember the first music video or TV show you downloaded using iTunes? Leave your comments below.