Apple sells 25 billionth song at iTunes store

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple on Wednesday announced that the number of digital songs downloaded from its iTunes Store has topped 25 billion.

The 25 billionth song bought from the online shop was a "Monkey Drums" remix by Chase Buch.

Apple said that it was bought by a German man who will be getting a 10,000 euro iTunes gift card to celebrate the occasion.

"We are grateful to our users whose passion for music over the past 10 years has made iTunes the number one music retailer in the world," Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue said in a release.

An average of 15,000 songs are downloaded every minute at iTunes, a shop stocked with digital content for iPhones, iPads, and iPods as well as computers powered by Macintosh or Windows operating systems.

"In a lot of ways, iTunes has leveled the playing field for musicians," said Wesley Schultz, guitarist and lead vocalist with the band Then Lumineers, in the statement released by Apple.

"Whether you're unsigned, indie, major, whatever -- it's the place most people go to buy digital music.

The iTunes Store was opened in 2003 and the shop caught fire with lovers of the California company's culture-changing mobile devices.