This Is the Number of iPods Sold All-Time

The iPod was an unquestioned success, the kind rarely equaled by any other product. It transformed Apple, the way users interact with music, and the music industry itself thanks to the iTunes Store. The speed at which its sales grew is almost impossible to believe for a device that costs hundreds of dollars and lasts for years.

Looking at the history of iPod sales is impressive. The big gains in how many iPods were sold worldwide in just a few quarters and years are particularly impressive (check out the 8 months between March and November 2005: 15 million sold!).

This list of how many iPods have been sold illustrates the growth of the iPod. The sales figures are based on Apple announcements (usually during quarterly financial reporting) and numbers are approximate. The figures listed here are cumulative. For instance, the December 2014 number is the total number of iPods sold from its introduction to that time.

How Many iPods Have Been Sold All Time

According to data from Apple, over 400 million iPods have been sold all time.

This chart provides a more detailed look at iPod sales over time and how the release of popular models effected sales.

The Diminishing iPod Line

The iPod product line used to include the iPod Classic, iPod touch, iPod nano, and iPod Shuffle. All but the iPod touch are no longer sold. The Classic was discontinued in Sept. 2014 and while the iPod nano and iPod Shuffle were both discontinued in July 2017.

Only the iPod touch has been significantly updated since 2012. Sales of the iPod are have slowed significantly: only about 45 million iPods were sold in the 18 months between January 2011 and September 2012. The continued explosive sales of the iPhone and other smartphones have been the key cause of the iPod's fall.

Apple Stopped Reporting How Many iPods Have Been Sold

All good things come to an end. Despite selling more than 400 million units all time, the iPod is almost gone. It's being replaced by the iPhone, which sells as many units in a quarter as the iPod often did in a year. 

After years of steady, quarter-by-quarter declines in sales, Apple stopped providing separate sales figures for the iPod in January 2015. It makes sense: why call attention to a once-proud product that's fading away? Instead, Apple now includes iPod sales lumped into the "Other Products" line in its quarterly financial reporting. That's a catch-all category for anything that's not an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or a service. 

There's no telling how much longer the iPod line will continue. It's a safe assumption that the iPod touch will hang around for a while since it's so similar to the iPhone and still, reportedly, a good seller. With that being the only remaining model, it's likely that the ultimate end of the iPod line isn't that far away.