Nobuyuki Hayashi:

The event was reported on uncountable number of media outlets, from radios, TVs and web news (Blog was still new back then, and there were virtually no social media). But not many of the coverages talks about the story of the 20 CDs.

After announcing the original iPod, Steve Jobs’ said Apple has prepared about 250 prototypes of the original iPods which the invited journalists can take away (but later return). The iPod was loaded with music from 20 CDs, so the journalists can try iPod out on the way back home.

Steve Jobs insisted that Apple has no intention of stealing away the sales of the music industry; remember this was way before iTunes Music Store. What Apple did to keep its word is buying same number of 20 CDs sets and gave it along with the iPod prototypes to the journalists.

The clever folks at Reddit have created an Apple Music and Spotify playlist of the above mentioned CDs.