2001–2003Reputable sourceWell documented
The iPod and iTunes: 1,000 Songs in Your Pocket
On the timeline · around 2001–2003 · The Digital Age
What happened
Apple released the iPod in October 2001, promising to put '1,000 songs in your pocket,' and in April 2003 opened the iTunes Music Store, selling legal downloads for 99 cents a song. Together they built a convenient, paid alternative to piracy that dominated the 2000s.
Why it matters
The iPod-and-iTunes ecosystem moved music decisively from physical discs to digital files, made Apple a music-industry power, and taught a generation to buy — and carry — their entire music library digitally.