New York - Apple's iTunes Store has become the third-largest overall retailer of music in the U.S., behind Wal-Mart and Best Buy, according to a report from market research firm NPD Group.

During the first quarter, Wal-Mart claimed 15.8% of total music sales, followed by Best Buy with 13.8% and the iTunes Store with 9.8%; Amazon.com (6.7%) and Target (6.7%) rounded out the top five music retailers.

NPD noted that during the first quarter, digital music downloads accounted for 13.8% of all purchases, while physical CDs made up the remaining 86.2%.

The firm attributed Apple's success to strong sales of its iPod players during the holiday season.

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