Keep in mind, this is not only for online music sales, but includes sales from brick and mortar stores as well. All the more amazing, it took Apple only 5 years to achieve this level!

In reaching the top spot, Apple overtook Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is in second place, followed by Best Buy and Amazon.com.

Not too surprising, and it of course it does explain why so many brick and mortar music stores have disappeared from the landscape. It only seemed like yesterday that we were flipping through CDs at Tower Records………….

Word is that the cost of the downloads would be embedded within the cost of the iPod itself, so one could reasonably expect somewhat higher prices for the players themselves to account for this plan.

If true, this would raise lots of questions – the biggest of which is…….what happens when I change to a different iPod player?  Do I lose all of my current iTunes music?  Or does my music follow me to the new player?  What if a record company drops out of the plan – what then?  Does my music go away?

I wonder why Apple isn’t considering some sort of monthly subscription plan for an all-you can download service?

Then again, considering the market share Apple has with iTunes, its not surprising that Apple is attempting to blaze their own trail……