The Company sold 30 million songs through iTunes during the past 10 days and is close to hitting its first billion sales. 

iTunes launched its billion song countdown on February 7. Its song sales ticker now shows it has sold 981,301,852 tunes. At three million song sales each day, Apple seems set to reach its billion song target within the week.

To help generate sales, Apple is offering prizes: every person buying a 100,000th song gets a black 4GB iPod nano and a $100 iTunes Music Card. The person who downloads the billionth song from the iTunes Music Store will receive a 20-inch iMac, a $10,000 iTunes Music Card, and ten 60GB iPods.  Apple will also launch a full scholarship in the winner's name at a world-renowned music school.