It’s been a long time coming but the iTunes Music Store has finally been launched in Australia. Speculation about what caused the hold up has been floating around for ages and the notable absense of SonyBMG from the store seems to point the finger at them.

Nevertheless, we Australians can now purchase and legally download over 1 million tracks for $1.69 each. In the scheme of things, it’s very competitavely priced with what you’d pay if you went into the store and bought a CD. Only time will tell if it will actually curb illegal downloads like it has done around the world. The addition of this store, the 21st such music store for Apple, means they now cover over 90% of the worldwide music market.

It’s a pity that the TV Shows downloading feature, recently launched in the US, is not available here. But I’m sure over time, more things will come on board. Of course, all the other features such as 30 second previews, music videos, gift vouchers and the like are available in the store.

CNet has a short FAQ that lists a few details about the launch so head over there for more information. You can also listen to an MP3 recording of the press conference “launch event”, thanks to APC.