Apple iTunes Store is down. For now.

Folks, we woke up this morning to find that the Apple iTunes Music Store is down. You know what that means, don't you?

T-minus 3 hours 45 min.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Gomer @ Sep 12th 2006 9:22AM]

Also notice that it's just called the 'iTunes Store'. 'Music' is gone from the name...

[bjarke bech @ Sep 12th 2006 9:22AM]

Definetly something with movies, since of the "It's Showtime" and "the stars" banner. I hope for a real video ipod.

[tsik @ Sep 12th 2006 9:23AM]

Check out the German quick time site..DOWN LEFT and compare it to the us one :)

[tsik @ Sep 12th 2006 9:24AM]

http://www.apple.com/de/quicktime/win.html

[WyattERP @ Sep 12th 2006 9:26AM]

I bet money that we are only going to hear about a S/W update with no hardware to talk about today. This event is to announce Itunes Movie Store, and maybe Itunes 7 to go along with it.

There we go, just making sure we set our expectations low.

[Huey2k2 @ Sep 12th 2006 9:27AM]

This would be cool if iTunes wasn't such a terrible program.

[Daveoc64 @ Sep 12th 2006 9:29AM]

Those are just trailers. Look at the link.

[Lou @ Sep 12th 2006 9:30AM]

Someone already noticed the absence of music. And Huey, is it lonely being the only person who thinks iTunes is a terrible program?

[Matt @ Sep 12th 2006 9:31AM]

"Also notice that it's just called the 'iTunes Store'. 'Music' is gone from the name..."

I've always thought it was kind of silly to keep the name iTunes Music Store after they started selling video on it. I think they ought to get rid of the iTunes too and replace it with something new entirely.

[greenfly360 @ Sep 12th 2006 9:32AM]

That site confirms it! http://www.apple.com/de/quicktime/mac.html
Right down the buttom.

[Bart @ Sep 12th 2006 9:32AM]

woo u got my email! haha

[hugh @ Sep 12th 2006 9:32AM]

yeah itunes suxs cuz of drm or crap as i say.

i say movie store with diz movies and maby new nano and a cool case for them

[marklar @ Sep 12th 2006 9:36AM]

you got to love apple...they even get publicity when something's NOT happening...

[bob @ Sep 12th 2006 9:37AM]

"This would be cool if iTunes wasn't such a terrible program."

what?!?!?! its the best of its sort!!! not sure how it runs on a pc, but its my most used app on my mac! and runs with front row brilliantly

[BiggsteR @ Sep 12th 2006 9:40AM]

I agree Huey - iTunes for PC is a bunch of arse. It is painfully slow to load, slow to navigate and crashes frequently - not to mention its piss-poor backup options to archive your precious library...

[Brian @ Sep 12th 2006 9:40AM]

I find it interesting that they aren't calling it the music store there, just "The iTunes Store"

[kp @ Sep 12th 2006 9:42AM]

Go to this one:
http://www.apple.com/it/quicktime/mac.html

The the name for the picture below the quicktime gallery?

VIDEO iTunes!

And, the movies below it are from studios taht are not disney, and they're movies NOT trailers, Daveoc is wrong.

[Alasdair Allan @ Sep 12th 2006 9:44AM]

The UK store is giving a slightly more opaque error message,

http://www.babilim.co.uk/blog/2006/09/itunes-store-down.html

[Allan @ Sep 12th 2006 9:45AM]

Just curious... anyone have any idea why the font on the 'iTunes Store' isn't smoothed? Aliasing is so PC.

[Daveoc64 @ Sep 12th 2006 9:48AM]

kp, look on every iTunes site around the world.

They've had "Video iTunes" or "iTunes Video" on them since October.

It's for Music Videos, TV shows and Movie Trailers.

I think a dissection of the links will help:

http://www.apple.com/de/games/trailers/burningcrusade/

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/inboundRedirect?omni-ch=Store+Front&omni-pg=Movie+Trailers&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fmoviesxml%2Fh%2Findex.xml

Why would they update the German site to include movies, call them "Movie Trailers" before the launch?

They wouldn't, Apple is too secretive.

[kp @ Sep 12th 2006 9:48AM]

http://images.apple.com/it/quicktime/home/images/header_itunesvideos1305.gif

Look at that!

[Daveoc64 @ Sep 12th 2006 9:49AM]

The UK store is showing the "It's Showtime" message here.

[kp @ Sep 12th 2006 9:57AM]

This
http://www.apple.com/movies/fox/transporter_2/

is kind of interesting...

[lemonhunter @ Sep 12th 2006 9:59AM]

I just woke up and checked in on Engaget.

I had a dream last night about Apples announcement. There was definitly an Ipod released but it was a really weird looking Ipod. There were a bunch of program updates as well.

Also, In my dream Steve Jobs also gave some hints into the Wii and showed some demos. I think in my dreams Nintendo and Apple are one.

[Ryan @ Sep 12th 2006 10:01AM]

why do they do this on a tuesday when albums get released!? i've been waiting for the last 2 hours to d/l something that i've been waiting for for 6 months and now i have to wait longer. this better get fixed asap or i might have to actually go to a real music store with like people working there and hand them like money and stuff from my wallet.

[Alasdair Allan @ Sep 12th 2006 10:02AM]

The UK store is also now telling us it's showtime,

http://www.babilim.co.uk/blog/2006/09/itunes-store-down.html

does this mean movies for everyone?

[jason @ Sep 12th 2006 10:05AM]

Ok one thing. If the european sites are shwoing trailers at the bottom .. ie Transporter ..... etc .... why are they there. Right above them is the link to the trailers page anyway... with links to itunes trailers ....

Whats the point of putting it up twice ?

[CanesOL79 @ Sep 12th 2006 10:08AM]

Gonna be great.

[Ivan @ Sep 12th 2006 10:08AM]

For get the movies what about a new Ipod.

[Intrepid @ Sep 12th 2006 10:09AM]

Apple doesn't know how to upgrade a system without shutting it down for some time?

[Josh @ Sep 12th 2006 10:11AM]

Let's hope this isn't going to be a debacle of a release of an iPod leather case and Mac Mini with a remote. Many finally iTunes will go subscription...Jobs don't disappoint.

[A.A. Fussy @ Sep 12th 2006 10:14AM]

I want a new iPod released too

[deletedsoul @ Sep 12th 2006 10:14AM]

I am rather excited. I really think that the movie downloads are finally here, given the fact that Amazon Unbox was released recently. I can't see Apple falling too far behind anyone...they are just fashionably late. :)

[Joe Henson @ Sep 12th 2006 10:14AM]

Apple stores going down Australia/Hong Kong... here we go......

[jason @ Sep 12th 2006 10:18AM]

Apple doesn't know how to upgrade a system without shutting it down for some time?

Posted at 10:05AM on Sep 12th 2006 by Intrepid [ ! ]

Its obviously a marketing buzz thing. I mean ive visited a few sites and theyre all talking about it. So it obviously worked. And why wouldnt you ? This way ... worlds number one music player, opened up by thousands every hour becomes worlds most READ billboard ! .......... genius

[Shmoe @ Sep 12th 2006 10:19AM]

Who cares? It's Apple. Any new device will be over priced with too mucd DRM to allow ease of use with other devices.

[Justin @ Sep 12th 2006 10:19AM]

You all got it wrong, they're just adding the new backstreet boys song...

[psxp @ Sep 12th 2006 10:24AM]

dudes, we all know they will be announcing Movie downloads.. thats a given.. who's got deets on anything else?

[kalmbach @ Sep 12th 2006 10:28AM]

I want my 12" Macbook Pro, NOW!
And what's up with not having DL DVD writers in five out of six base configs? Get on it, Apple. You're lagging behind.

[1337 @ Sep 12th 2006 10:36AM]

silly people, its not anything to do with video.. they're gonna start selling ring tones for the iPhone..

[Jeff @ Sep 12th 2006 10:47AM]

"Apple doesn't know how to upgrade a system without shutting it down for some time?"

It's called "marketing". It's not as if any of the people who want to buy something from Apple are going to see that the store is down and go buy something else instead. If you want an iPod, you're going to buy an iPod. You can just buy one later.

But this way, they get a whole lot of eyeballs to advertise that new products are coming, and they generate a lot of extra hype in a really short period of time. Every time they do this, you get all sorts of people saying "the store is down! the store is down! they're updating!" That's priceless word of mouth, *plus* all those people who just look at the site by chance and then know to check back later.

[marklar @ Sep 12th 2006 10:47AM]

do i get a prize for being the millionth person to post ' it's just called the 'iTunes Store'. 'Music' is gone from the name...' i do? thanks

[Aaron Longchamps @ Sep 12th 2006 10:55AM]

I seem to remember a while ago, beginning of April, they were going to release a video iPod but something didn't work out, I think with the movie studios. Now that they have removed "music" from the store name, I'm looking for a new widescreen iPod for videos and heck, widescreen television shows. I might even take a trip to the fifth street Apple store to get one tomorrow, pending release.

[Jimbo @ Sep 12th 2006 11:03AM]

@hugh,

Posh name but you talk like you're from "da hood"

funny

[prosumer @ Sep 12th 2006 11:07AM]

go to the german apple site and you'll see that 20th century fox is on board!!!



http://www.apple.com/de/quicktime/mac.html

[Todrick @ Sep 12th 2006 11:07AM]

anyone know of a site that will carry video of the 'it's showtime' event?

[Rob Poitras @ Sep 12th 2006 11:09AM]

I got into work early to get stuff done since I know I won't be doing anything from 10am till it ends.

[Terry @ Sep 12th 2006 11:10AM]

OK, I've done a little URL/XML analysis and found that the announcement is going to include movies from the following studios:

20th Century Fox, DreamWorks S.K.G., Focus Features, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Independent, Lions Gate Films, MGM Studios, Miramax Films, New Line Cinema, Paramount Classics, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, Touchstone Pictures, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures

This is straight from Apple's own XML files folks. I'm still hacking to see if I can get any listings of movies or pricing.

[task @ Sep 12th 2006 11:11AM]

To all those pointing to the German Quicktime site:

If these are movies and not movie trailers, why is the URL of the link:

"http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/inboundRedirect?omni-ch=Store+Front&omni-pg=Movie+Trailers&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fmoviesxml%2Fh%2Findex.xml"

Note "Movie+Trailers" in there.

?

[Darmilatron @ Sep 12th 2006 11:17AM]

Apple Store down now !!

you think it could be something bigger than a video store??