Apple actively courting the Beatles
With the lawsuit behind them, Apple is actively trying to get Beatles music added to the iTunes Music Store. According to an article at Bloomberg, Apple Corps is currently remastering the Beatles' entire catalog, in preparation for electronic distribution. However, a vendor has not yet been named. Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes, hopes they'll look towards the iTMS:"We certainly will do everything we can to get them on iTunes. The Beatles aren't available in any digital format today but they are going to be one day. We certainly hope that happens on iTunes."
Is there too much animosity between the two giants, or can they let bygones be bygones? Time will tell. All I know is that my iPod is just begging for the White Album.
[Via MacDailyNews]
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ephraimephraim said 9:05AM on 5-11-2006
"All I know is that my iPod is just begging for the White Album."
So buy the album and rip it -- works for me.
Reply
MattK said 9:07AM on 5-11-2006
So go to Best Buy, pick up the CD, and rip it. Everyone makes a big deal about the Beatles not being available digitally... I just don't see the crisis here. If you're a Beatles fan, you already have the CDs and you're not going to buy the songs online again, anyway.
Reply
tutor said 9:13AM on 5-11-2006
I think the two should put aside their petty differences and let greed rule.
And as for "buying the CD," when it comes to the Beatles, there ain't just one CD. I'll be one of the first to give Steve my money for some electronic Beatle goodness.
Reply
Craig said 9:26AM on 5-11-2006
Please respect Dave Caolo's need to buy nothing except from Apple.
Reply
Walter A. said 9:28AM on 5-11-2006
Why buy DRM'd music online when you can buy and rip a CD into higher quality, non-DRM, universally compatible MP3 files for about the same cost or less?
And for cases where a music label is just a little too smug, I think fans should show their displeasure by trying bittorrent
ie: ( http://www.fulldls.com/downloading_albums_38 )
Reply
Ralph said 9:43AM on 5-11-2006
Step one: buy the Beatles catalog from Michael Jackson (remember there's a difference between owning the catalog and the performances, so don't comment back with "if they buy they catalog they can put it on iTunes") (search for Jackson on Wikipedia if you don't know the story behind his buying it).
Step two: give the catalog to Apple Corps Ltd. free of charge (unless there's some legality to doing it that way, then sell it to them for $4 -- $1 from each Beatle or his estate).
Step three: Hammer out a deal with Apple Corps regarding sale of special Beatles iPods, a la the U2 iPods. The deal would equal special profit for Apple Corps Ltd. for the sale of each iPod. (You couldn't do this with the songs themselves -- such as giving them a sweetheart deal because all the other record companies would cry foul.) An all-white iPod (front and back), one with the Union Jack, one with their simple logo laser-etched, one for each Beatle (with a laser-etched signature); lots can be done.
Step four: negotiate for the catalog to be put on iTunes as part of the special BeatlePod(s) promotion.
Step five: everyone profits. Despite nay-sayers, I guarantee that the Beatles albums will dominate sales right after their appearances. And let's not forget the movies, nor the repackaging of specific songs as videos. There's a lot of money to be made by giving the people what they want.
Reply
John Bloeme said 9:58AM on 5-11-2006
"Step one: buy the Beatles catalog from Michael Jackson"
Sounds simple, but if the publishing was for sale, Apple Corps would have already been all over it.
Reply
Storv said 10:07AM on 5-11-2006
"All I know is that my iPod is just begging for the White Album."
See, there's these things called 'CD's'........
Reply
tundraboy said 10:17AM on 5-11-2006
Off course Corps and Comp will dance. These aren't the Beatles of the sixties and seventies who embraced the counterculture, peace, love and to hell with greed and material things.
Paul McCartney, as big a fan as I am, has been able to execute the two contortions and three and half somersaults needed to journey from the counterculture to "Why shouldn't I charge the highest concert ticket prices ever if people are willing to pay for it?"
Once Comp gives them the $$ numbers on iTMS, of course Corps will come around.
Reply
Bill I said 10:22AM on 5-11-2006
"Apple Corps is currently remastering the Beatles' entire catalog, in preparation for electronic distribution. However, a vendor has not yet been named."
Here's what I don't understand: Apple Corps (wow, I really just never get over the kitsch-factor of their name) clearly is interested in making money off their intellectual property. I mean, they've sued Apple Computer 3 separate times to prove they're still legit. If they truly care to make money off the Beatles' work, is there another service to turn to? Napster? No, they're letting people stream music for free...and is anyone really buying from them? Rhapsody who? ...and who else is left standing?
From a money-making stand point, which is a stand-point Apple Corps is clearly still interested in, it ONLY makes sense to put aside differences with Apple Computer and release the Beatles songs on the iTMS.
So, I'm with #3 - these two need to quit their bickering and realize there's lots of money to be made off the Beatles songs....so, work together, and make that money, boys!
Reply
GadgetGav said 10:33AM on 5-11-2006
As others have realized, and someone should point out to Eddie Cue, the Beatles have been available in a digital format for years... the CD. They've re-issued and re-mastered the albums many times for that format so there's no reason to think they won't do the same for downloadable digital.
I'm sure they'll sell well once they are available just because of the hype that will surround them being available to download, but I would think that anyone who really wants a Beatles album on their iPod has already ripped one of the many versions that are on CD.
Reply
Ralph said 10:41AM on 5-11-2006
The catalog *is* for sale -- or at least negotiated sale. Check out this story at CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/BUSINESS/06/09/jackson.finances/index.html
The catalog was used as collateral.
A quote: "Jackson, through Sony/ATV, owns all but a small selection of the Fab Four's compositions, including megahits like "Yesterday," "Let It Be," and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." He does not, however, own the actual sound recordings; those rights are held by EMI's Capitol Records."
Reply
jerome said 11:21AM on 5-11-2006
"Remastered" my ass. A load of CDs going through a computer to make MP3s, WMAs and AACs. They were remastered AGAIN 3 years ago. What a load of garbage.
Reply
Machine said 1:10PM on 5-11-2006
I like the music of the Beatles well enough... but all this fawning and trouble over a band that hasn't put out an album 35 years? All the endless remastering and repackaging? Ugh. Enough.
Reply
Robert said 1:24PM on 5-11-2006
"Why buy DRM'd music online when you can buy and rip a CD into higher quality, non-DRM, universally compatible MP3 files for about the same cost or less?"
Why? Because I don't want to spend nearly $30 for 30 songs when I only want half a dozen. So, I would MUCH rather spend $6 and get the songs I want. The DRM'd argument is really just baloney anyway. I can easily remove the DRM if I am all hot and bothered about it, which I'm not.
Reply
Brian Ashe said 2:54PM on 5-11-2006
Buying CDs... is that like borrowing them from friends or the Library* and ripping them?
* I mean the big building where they loan books, not /Library, /System/Library, or ~/Library. :-)
Reply
Jeshii said 8:22PM on 5-11-2006
Strange, my iPod already has the White Album... Wonder how that happened. :P
Reply
Marmel3000 said 5:38AM on 5-12-2006
Another small point on the "buy the catalogue" fantasy, you'd also have to buy Sony out of their share. Can't see them selling cheap.
In any event, at least the Beatles - as ever - are keeping things interesting in the digital marketplace. It's incredible that they still inspire so much emotion from so many people. As a cultural phenomenon they're just fascinating, regardless of how you feel about the music.
I for one will probably stump up for whatever bespoke Beatles brand iPod they end up coming out with either this Christmas or next, and I ain't complaining.
Reply