Yesterday Apple sent out invitations for a small iTunes event this evening and reports began surfacing last night that iTunes was being activated in Russia, Turkey, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia with users able to buy music and videos from Apple’s online store. In a press release this morning, Apple announced that it has launched the iTunes Store in Russia, Turkey, India, South Africa, and 52 additional countries, bringing it up to a total of 119 countries that have access to the iTunes Store.
The iTunes Store will feature a wide selection of local and international music from major labels as well as independent labels. Customers will be able to choose from over 20 million songs, including Elka in Russia, Sezen Aksu in Turkey, Ar Rahman in India, and Zahara in South Africa, as well as international artists like Coldplay, The Beatles, and Taylor Swift.
Only Russia, Turkey, India, and Indonesia will support movie and video purchases, and this service will be made “available in select additional countries.” Movie selection will come from leading local distributors, as well as major international studios, like 20th Century Fox, Sony, Disney, and Warner Bros.
Image Credit: Apple
