Apple has quietly backpedaled on its claim of 10 million songs in the iTunes catalog. Earlier this week, in touting iTunes' fifth birthday (the store, not the software), the company noted that its catalog contained more than 10 million songs, but since then the company has updated its own iTunes marketing to reflect the previously announced 6 million number (also noted by setteB.IT). As reported on Monday, the 10 million number would have represented a 66 percent increase in its catalog in just under a month. The company, however, in April announced that surpassed Wal-Mart to become the number one music retailer in the US (based on data from January and February of 2008).

To date, Apple has served over 50 million customers and sold more than four billion songs and iTunes accounts for approximately 70 percent of digital music sold worldwide. According to some reports, Apple could account for 28 percent of all music sold worldwide with in four years -- if current trends hold up and the digital music market continues to explode.

On Monday, Apple claimed 10 million songs



As of Friday, Apple changed the claim to 6 million songs