If anyone harbored hopes that movie rentals were to presage a move to an iTunes subscription service, those hopes should have been dashed by the masses’ continued disinterest in music subscription services. In February 2008 that its subscription music service was about to become very limited, as in non-existent. Yahoo’s current customers were shuttled to , another subscription service that has managed to survive, if not thrive.

iTunes prospers despite industry efforts

Apple’s media partners—music companies, movie studios, and TV networks—continued to search for ways to lessen Apple’s dominance in the media market. NBC Universal and Apple continued their contentious spat where, in 2007, Apple dropped NBC’s television programs from the iTunes Store after the broadcast company made threats to depart if certain pricing and bundling demands weren't met. in September 2008, when Apple began offering its and other networks’ TV shows in HD.

While the broadcasters’ efforts brought greater popularity to outfits such as (a site for streaming TV shows and movies) and (which offered streaming content in addition to its disc-in-the-mail business), they had very little effect on Apple’s dominance.

iTunes became the number one U.S. music retailer in 2008.