iTunes U downloads surpass 300 million

Downloads via Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iTunes U educational multimedia catalog have topped the 300 million mark, three years after the initiative first launched. A dedicated area within the larger iTunes Store developed in conjunction with colleges and universities, iTunes U offers public access to over 350,000 free audio and video files from institutions including Harvard, MIT, Cambridge and Oxford--content includes courses, lab demonstrations, sports highlights, campus tours and special lectures. Apple notes that over 800 universities worldwide now boast active iTunes U sites, adding that nearly half distribute their content publicly on the iTunes Store. All content can be downloaded to iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices as well as Macs and PCs.

iTunes U downloads pale in comparison to iTunes music downloads--in February, Apple announced that consumers have downloaded more than 10 billion songs from the digital storefront since its launch in 2003. iTunes now accounts for 70 percent of all premium music downloads in the U.S. according to data issued by market research firm NPD Group--adding physical music purchases to the equation, iTunes still leads with 28 percent of all sales nationwide.

For more on the iTunes U download milestone:
- read this release

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