Six days after it began offering U2's latest album "Songs of Innocence" for free to 500 million iTunes customers, Apple has announced (via the Associated Press) that over 33 million customers have accessed the record.

u2-apple
In a statement, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software and Services Eddy Cue called the numbers record-breaking, and said that the numbers include users who downloaded the album from their iTunes account, streamed it, or used iTunes Radio to listen to it.

Earlier this morning, Apple also released a tool for customers to delete the U2 album off of their iTunes accounts, as some users were upset with it being added to their devices without their knowledge.

Last Friday, it was reported that Songs of Innocence was downloaded 2 million times after three days of being made available. The album will be free for iTunes customers until October 13.

Top Rated Comments

dannys1 Avatar
149 months ago
I want to know how many used the tool to banish it from their iTunes account forever like me...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macs4nw Avatar
149 months ago
Contrary to a lot of negative comments in the last week, by October 13, this album will reside on more storage/iTunes devices, than U2 could have ever dreamt to have albums downloaded thru the iTunes Store, the old fashioned way, in addition to streaming, etc.

U2 got the deal of a lifetime out of this. I know I'm probably in the minority here but, Thanks Tim!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fitshaced Avatar
149 months ago
for whom tho? U2 i can get but Apple? When i saw how much Apple paid U2 i was shocked as i thought U2 would be the one having to pay apple to use their platform as promotion

For both, obviously. People using iTunes and iTunes Radio more. When more and more people are using Spotify, Pandora etc, this is a
Clever way to bring some of that back.

Also, it's a free album that comes with no catch. Other companies might have expected you to sign up for some spam or an opt out subscription.

Don't be fooled by the U2 haters. There are plenty if U2 fans that want this album and plenty of closet U2 fans.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fitshaced Avatar
149 months ago
People failing to see how successful this promotion was is laughable. That's U2 laughing all the way to the bank.

Also, fantastic album. California (There is no end to love) is a superb track.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorksole Avatar
149 months ago
I wonder if U2 had any inspiration for the album cover ...

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
149 months ago
"Accessed" it as in the same way Siri gets used so much because half the time its people hitting the siri button on their keyboard by mistake in the middle of class? :P
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...