Comparing IFPI to Apple

By George Ziemann -- July 24, 2005

This is one of the simplest and best examples of the lengths to which the record industry is fabricating their data. You won't even need a calculator.

In a press release this week, the IFPI (International Federation of Pirate Inquisitors), offered this information (among other things):

  • Single track downloads in the US, the UK, Germany and France have risen to 180 million in the first half of 2005 compared to 157 million for the whole of 2004. This is more than three times the 57 million downloads of the first half of 2004.
  • iTunes sold its 500 millionth song on July 18th.
  • There are over 300 online sites worldwide - up threefold on one year ago - and around 190 online music sites in Europe. The cross-industry www.pro-music.org site now features a comprehensive worldwide directory of legitimate online services.

Here are a few tidbits from Apple:

  • December 15, 2003 -- 25 million songs sold.
  • July 12, 2004 -- 100 million songs sold.
  • December 16, 2004 -- 200 million songs sold.
  • July 17, 2005 -- 500 million songs sold

Now let's put that information next to each other:

  Apple Sold IFPI Sales Notes
2003  25 million 25 million They ignored 2003, so let's give them credit for the 25 million songs Apple said they sold.
2004 175 million 157 million  
2005 300 million 180 million  
Totals 500 million 362 million  

There are over 300 online sites worldwide -- Without even considering the other 299 outlets, 28 percent of Apple's sales apparently were not purchased from RIAA members. Or the labels decided not to count 28 percent of their actual sales.

Please recall that Apple gave away 100 million or so songs, which some people think would fill in that gap. Those people have dropped that 100 million in the wrong column. Apple says "500 million songs sold." Apple had to buy 500 million songs in order to sell them, however you add it up. Seems like they (and their customers) bought 138 million songs from indies. And 2005's numbers indicate the indies have 40 percent of the market this year, compared to 11 percent at this time last year.