Apple has sold a record 14 million iPod music players in the past quarter, chief executive Steve Jobs said in his opening keynote at Macworld in San Francisco.

The figure represents a 206 per cent increase over the same period a year ago, and 117 per cent growth over the previous quarter.

Apple has sold more than 42 million units of the media player since it was introduced in 2002, Jobs said, and more than three quarters of all iPods were sold in 2005. The holiday season traditionally sees a strong demand for all consumer electronics.

Apple released several of its key financial figures ahead of its earnings release scheduled for 18 January.

Jobs revealed that the company achieved record revenues of $5.7bn in the last quarter of 2005, which he claimed he was required to disclose by the Securities and Exchange Commission if he wanted to highlight the sales in Apple's retail stores.

Jobs boasted that the iTunes store is approaching sales of 850 million songs. At the current rate, it will pass the one billion mark in February. Jobs also said that the media store had sold more than eight million videos since the launch of the video iPod in October.

Apple sold 1.25 million computer and server systems in the last quarter of 2005, marking a 19.5 per cent increase over the same period last year.

Additional financial figures will be disclosed at the official earnings release later in January.