iTunes Store: Download times will vary

Summary

When you buy an item from the iTunes Store, the amount of time it takes to download your purchase will vary according to the file's size and your Internet connection speed.

Products Affected

iTunes Store

When you buy an item from the iTunes Store, the amount of time it takes to download your purchase will vary according to the file's size and your Internet connection speed. A broadband connection is highly recommended for making music purchases and required for making video purchases or rentals.

For reference, here are some examples of download times for various media types. Your download times may vary. If you want to know your speed specifics, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can help you determine your download speed, or you can use CNET's Bandwidth Meter.

4-minute song 4 MB 4-5 seconds 20-30 seconds About 10 minutes
5-minute video 30 MB 30-40 seconds About 3 minutes About 1 hour, 10 minutes
9-hour audiobook 110 MB 2 minutes About 10 minutes About 4 hours, 15 minutes
45-minute TV show 200 MB 3-5 minutes 15-20 minutes About 7 hours, 45 minutes
45-minute HDTV show 600 MB 10-15 minutes About 45 minutes-1h n/a2
2-hour movie 1.0-1.5 GB 18-24 minutes About 1.5-2 hours n/a2
2-hour HD movie 3.0-4.5 GB 54-72 minutes3 About 4.5-6 hours3 n/a2
iPod Game 10-60 MB About 30-70 seconds About 3-6 minutes About 1-2 Hours

Notes

  1. Broadband speeds can range from 256 kbit/s and up. These estimates are based on both a 5 Mbit/s and a 1 Mbit/s broadband connection. Download speeds will vary depending on your Internet connection.
  2. Broadband required for movie and HD downloads.
  3. Refer to the Apple TV Technical Specifications page for more information on the time before you can start viewing a movie rental.

 

Additional Information

Some content types are not available in some iTunes Store countries.

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