As if further proof of Apple’s dominance in the digital music download arena was needed, the Cupertino-based company today announced that more than three billion songs have been purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store since its debut in 2003.

“We’d like to thank all of our customers who have contributed to this incredible milestone,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes.
The iTunes Store sold its first billion tracks in February 2006, almost three years after its debut, whereas the latest milestone came just a little over six months after the two billion sales mark was reached back in January 2007. At the current rate, we could see Apple selling another two billion tracks in roughly one year's time.

The online music store also recently surpassed Amazon and Target to become the third largest music retailer in the US, behind Best Buy and Wal-Mart. And with the company’s recently launched iPhone, the iTunes Store might see another boost in sales.