iTunes 1 Billion Song Contest Ends [Updated]

Apple's One Billion Song countdown and contest are over.

From Apple's 1billion page:

1 billion songs have been legally downloaded from the iTunes Music Store. Music lovers like you in 21 countries around the globe have purchased one billion songs from the iTunes Music Store. And for helping us reach this massive milestone in digital music history, wed like to thank you.

The billionth song downloader will receive a 20" iMac, a $10,000 iTunes Music Card, and ten 60GB iPods, and may get a personal phone call from Steve Jobs. Apple usually announces both the winner's name and the winning song.

Apple also gave away $100 iTunes Music Cards and 4GB iPod nanos to those who downloaded every 100,000th song during the contest period.

[Update] The contest grand prize winner was Alex Ostrovsky from West Bloomfield, Michigan, who downloaded Speed of Sound by Coldplay.

Apple will establish a scholarship to the world-renowned Juilliard School in his name to commemorate this milestone.