National iPod Day is celebrated on October 23 to mark one of our greatest innovations — the iPod. With the promise of mobility, storage, and impeccable sound, Steve Jobs introduced the world to the very first iPod on October 23, 2001. After selling 400 million units, generating billions of dollars in revenue, and changing the landscape of the music industry, the iPod has silently disappeared from the public eye — but it will never be forgotten.
History of National iPod Day
If you are a Millennial, the evolution of your music listening experience has been dramatic, to say the least. You started with the cassette, moved on to CDs, dabbled with the walkman, and finally gravitated towards the iPod, and now you get all your music from Spotify. This intense progression is a privilege not many generations can claim.The iPod stands out from the rest as it revolutionized the way we listen to and store our music. Moving on from physically owning the labels for the first time, the iPod was the beginning of streaming as we know it.Disappointed by the large and clunky size of Mp3 players of the 1990s, Steve Jobs began fielding ideas for developing a compact audio device with Macintosh software. In 2001, he hired Anthony Michael Fadell to bring his vision to life. Within a year, Fadell, now known as ‘the Father of the iPod’, was ready with the finished product.Priced at $399, the iPod went live on November 10, 2001, with a simple promise: “1000 songs in your pocket.”It’s been decades since Apple single-handedly changed the future of music. We celebrate National iPod Day to honor this game-changer and the everlasting impact it had on our lives.
National iPod Day timeline
Steve Jobs begins developing ideas for an alternative to the big and clunky Mp3 portable players.
Apple settles on the name ‘iPod’, coined by freelance copywriter Vinnie Chieco.
Apple launches iTunes, a device utility app that can purchase, download, play, and organize digital multimedia.
Apple launches the first version of the iPod on October 23, 2001.
National iPod Day FAQs
Can I still buy an iPod?
While the original iPod series has been discontinued, iPod Touch with a 256GB memory and group FaceTime is still available for purchase on the Apple website.
Who invented the iPod?
No. It wasn’t Steve Jobs who invented the iPod. Anthony Michael Fadell designed and engineered the iPod — based on an Mp3 product of PortalPlayer, a company he was in partnership with.
How many songs can an iPod store?
The original iPod was launched with a 5GB memory and could store up to 1,000 songs. The latest editions have an expandable memory of 256GB and can store unlimited songs.
How to Celebrate National iPod Day
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Revisit your very first playlist
Remember the first playlist that you nonchalantly made on the day you unboxed this shiny new gadget? To fully appreciate the miracle of the iPod and the impact it had on our lives, it’s time to go for a drive blasting your very first playlist.
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Put your iTunes on shuffle
With iPod, Apple revolutionized the way we listen to music. Discovering new music through the famous ‘shuffle’ option opened our ears to charts unknown. Tons of new music is just sitting in the Apple Music library, waiting to be discovered by you. It’s time to put your iTunes on shuffle again.
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Post a throwback picture
Take a trip down the grainy land of hyper-saturated photographs with a peace sign and an owl necklace and post the most 2012-esque snapshot on the Gram. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #NationaliPodDay while you’re at it.
5 Facts About IPods That Will Blow Your Mind
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Change the things you can’t accept
Steve Jobs hated the big and clunky portable music players of the ‘90s, which is why he ordered his team to design the iPod.
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Inspiration is everywhere
Freelance copywriter Vinnie Chieco was behind the name ‘Pod,’ which was inspired by a phrase in Stanley Kubrick's 2001 movie, “A Space Odyssey”: “Open the pod bay doors, Hal!
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It’s more than music
iPod’s features such as calendar, to-do list, alarm clock, text reader, and address book are just as popular as its audio listening service.
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A face that launched a thousand ships
Hundreds of businesses such as speakers, headphones, covers, and cases have been created on the back of the iPod.
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A push from Windows worked
iPod didn’t become a commercial success until a Windows version of iTunes Music Store was programmed in the device in 2003.
Why We Love National iPod Day
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We can’t go back
iPod changed the trajectory of the music industry, and its impact on the way the world consumes music cannot be overstated. On October 23, we raise a toast to this bite-sized wonder.
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Jobs, the genius
Steve Jobs pushed for the iPod because he actively disliked the heavy design of the Mp3 players of his time. Little did he know that it would be the humble iPod that would make Apple the most valuable company on Earth.
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Nostalgia is powerful
The iPod is a reminder of simpler times before the advertising industry took over our streaming platforms and hyper-commercialized the experience of listening to new music. On National iPod Day, bask in the nostalgia of pre-Instagram times.
National iPod Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | October 23 | Sunday |
| 2023 | October 23 | Monday |
| 2024 | October 23 | Wednesday |
| 2025 | October 23 | Thursday |
| 2026 | October 23 | Friday |
