New York (AP) - Apple Music is about to reach a milestone, offering 100 million songs that catch the eye and ear on the streaming service.

Rachel Newman, Editor-in-Chief and Content Head at Apple Global, told the Associated Press: "It's a huge, huge number." "It is truly possible to compose, record, and release music more than ever in the history of music, which we believe is incredible."

Apple Music says this achievement has made it the largest music catalog in the world, surpassing 80 million songs on YouTube Music, 82 million tracks and podcasts on Spotify, and 90 million songs on Amazon Music.

Although the actual song that brings Apple Music across the threshold will not be known, there is a high chance it will not come from the United States or even be in English as the service sees more and more music coming from all over the world.

When iTunes was launched, the service had music in 200 languages and dialects, and half of the content was in English. Now, 40% of Apple Music's offerings are in English, and the number of languages and dialects has reached 350. The platform's main charts - which were once in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia - are now populated with beats from Japan, Colombia, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Korea.

The milestone has approached quickly as the world has become more digital. The number of Apple Music songs has doubled in the past four years, from 50 million songs in 2018, and the pandemic is thought to have accelerated the timeline as people in isolation searched for creative outlets.

Apple Music added that the 100 millionth song may come from an artist not yet known.

Apple Inc. started iTunes in 2003 with 200,000 songs fueling its iPods and launched Apple Music seven years ago - now fueling iPhones - with subscribers in 167 countries and territories.

It also says its customers not only listen to all that's new; they explore old catalogs of artists. In 2015, when Apple Music launched, the top 1000 songs formed 20% of the plays. Now they form 10%. The average release date of a song is March 7, 2017, a figure dropped by listeners going back in time.

The music player celebrates this achievement by launching a new editorial series on Monday called Apple Music Today. The editorial team tells the story of a new or old song - now with 100 million to choose from every time.

Newman said, "We think it's an opportunity for us to help all our subscribers connect with music they may have forgotten or don’t know about." "And most importantly, to find a new platform for storytelling. We think this is one of the things we do to keep the art in music." Edited by: Yusra Bamtraf