It has finally happened. For the longest time, I’ve wondered why we can buy apps from the Apple App Store but not music from the iTunes store. Well the wait is finally over for those wanting to buy legit music from iTunes with their local Apple ID as Apple opened its iTunes Store to the Philippines and 11 other countries.
With the iTunes store finally open to the Philippines, we can now purchase music albums, singles, and movies. You’ll see a lot of Korean and other Chinese music flooding your iTunes store now.
If you’re looking for homegrown music, there’s now an OPM section on your iTunes.
What’s missing though is the ability to purchase items using local currency (despite using a local iTunes account) which Android users have already been enjoying in the Google Play Store. Buying in dollars means there’s still the forex on your credit card that you have to worry about.
Interestingly, music are priced lower in the PH iTunes Store as compared to the US store. Some albums that are selling for $6.99 in the US store is only $4.99 in the PH store. Singles that would go for $1.29 in the US store is only $0.99 in the PH store.
Other countries getting their iTunes Store includes Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. They’re missing a huge market for not including India and China.
So what do you think? Will you be buying legal music now that iTunes PH is already available?
19 comments
For so long, the Philippines has been spoiled with pirated music what with the typical stall or two in some malls offering to burn DVDs of literally hundreds of MP3s for about PhP200-300.
I am not washing my hands by saying that I don’t pirate music but what I usually do when I do is download an album of an artist and when I like 4 or more songs from said album, then I search the local music stores for the CD. It’s my way of supporting the artist so they get paid, although quite unfairly, by their respective music labels.
Unfortunately, CDs of most of the artists I listen to are not so mainstream and hard to find so, well, I keep the downloaded MP3s. With iTunes Music now available, perhaps I can find those songs I like and need not buy a whole album to enjoy the artist’s songs.
Of course, there’s still that DRM thing to consider. It sucks that I can only use the songs I buy via iTunes on Apple products which for me is BS because some cheap players have better features over the cheapest of them iPods.
DRM-free ang contents sa iTunes Store. 🙂
I post corrected. 😉 Not very well versed yet with iTunes Music store. Well, I checked it out and I don’t think the majority of artists I listen to are there.
With the number of sheep(only the truly devoted apple worshipers) they have it might just be possible for the piracy spoiled PH shores to buy from iTunes. In my case I only ever pirate out of two main reasons:
1. Only effin Kpop is sold on music stores these days. Not to say these are bad they’re too catchy in fact. But the way it dominates local music store content is sorta similar to what super amoled did to color saturation on smartphone screens (#too much)
2. I don’t own a credit card for online purchases
Local music stores do sell too much of KPop stuff. 😛 And although they have a “Rock” section, I have a hard time looking for the CDs I want (at least here where I am), e.g. A Perfect Circle, Tool, Deftones, etc.
Didn’t the OPM (the organization) recently launch their own online music store? This is bad news for them.
yup, mymusicstore… but there, you can pay using your phone’s load and paypal.
Iba pa rin ba yung OPM 2 Go na store? I don’t know if it still exists though or if they are operational. I heard this lang over a radio show.
Mymusicstore is also cheaper, so I don’t think anyone who frequently buys music from them would switch over to the iTunes Store. The most popular songs are Php35 while the cheapest ones go for Php25. Compare that to around Php42 on iTunes? No contest. Too bad Mymusicstore isn’t that mainstream yet, coz I only heard about it again through this post since the last time I read about it on PTB.
it would be nice if our indie artists can also put their work here. or meron na ba?
Question, if I buy a song in itunes which costs $.46, how much would I have to pay? .46 is Php 18-19 only. Will there be any additional tax rates? Or is it plain $.46. Thanks!
Does the same go for apps? Afraid to use my mastercard because i might incur additional charges i am not familiar with
check itunes… if you register your card/country, it will display naman in peso. you will have the opportunity to review your purchase before paying.
Hmm…I set my country to Philippines and am using a BdO card (MasterCard) but the prices are still in dollars. Is there something I need to do still?
you’re right… it’s not working anymore. well yung charges is foreign exchange lang at the time na pumasok sa credit card mo. so around 42 pesos yung 0.99 cents.
Hi, are we able to buy apps for iphone? And what is the mode of payment?
yes, via credit card.
IM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY …. rushed to get 5 EPs….. so very satisfied!!!!
Hi! I would like to ask if the BDO can connect to your apple account? Or it should be visa?
how can i buy itunescard here in the philinppines? and i dnt hav a credit cards or paypal etc.. is there any store at SM's that selling itunes card? pls reply me a specific stire so i fan go their asap thanks