By the Way radio stations participated in broadcasting the band's new daily material, along with MTV, VH1, and digital music retailers like iTunes, as well as Cell phone companies. AOL featured the Chili Peppers as their "Artist of the Month" in June, streaming interviews and live performances of the band free of charge; they also sold an MP3 of "By the Way", the record's first single, for ninety-nine cents and raffled off tickets that gave fans a chance to see the band in Japan in November. "By the Way" was released on CD and LP on July 9, 2002, under the Warner Bros.
By the Way label, selling 281,948 copies in the United States in its first week and 1.8 million worldwide. It was certified gold just a few months later on October 26, 2002. Five singles were released from it; of these, the title track "By the Way" was the most successful, peaking at No. 2 on the UK charts and No. 1 on the Billboard rock charts. Although the album sold fewer copies than "Californication", "By the Way" managed to peak at No. 2 on the "Billboard" 200, one spot higher than "Californication". Around the world, the album debuted at number one in the