WebProNews

A major Japanese music label claims it has signed an agreement with Apple to provide it with music content.

Once again, the oft-denied rumor of Apple's iTunes Music Store launching in Japan has risen again. News agency AFP claims Japan's Avex label will provide music to Apple when iTunes debuts in August.

Japanese media reported earlier this year of a possible iTunes launch, but that date passed with only a denial from Apple on the topic.

Apple's iTunes will sell its 500 millionth download in the near future. The company has offered a nice grand prize to the lucky purchaser, including ten iPods and 10,000 songs from iTunes, in addition to seeing Coldplay in concert.

A launch in Japan could help Apple's iPod Shuffle sales there. Recently, Sony's flash-based memory players have begun outselling their Apple counterparts. Apple still leads in hard-drive media player sales in Japan, though.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.