It may not be the kind of big, well-promoted event we're used to from Apple, but a report claims Cupertino is heading to Moscow for an iTunes event on Tuesday evening which could finally bring the company's music offerings to Russians.
TechCrunch is reporting that Apple will be holding an iTunes event on Tuesday evening, December 4 in Moscow. According to the tipster who forwarded the email onto them, the event is music-centric and "a small, invitation-only affair" at the GUM shopping center located in Red Square.
The email appears to be legit: It was sent by Irina Efremova, one of Apple's public relations representatives in Russia. So what can Russian Apple fans expect out of the event?
All signs seem to point to iTunes finally offering music in the country, a glaring, longtime omission considering the country's 53 million users makes up Europe's largest internet market.
iTunes wouldn't be the first digital music offering in the county -- local companies such as Yandex have already been offering tracks for sale there, and even Opera is getting into the game with its own service.
Apple may also have another motivation to get the iTunes Store selling music in Russia, given the country's paltry two percent iPhone penetration in a land where Android is king.
The real challenge is music piracy -- Russia is notorious for it, with the Intellectual Property Alliance naming the country one of its worst offenders for illegal content, and old habits die hard.
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