Today is Apple’s 09/09/09 iPod press event, and there’s a lot we can and should expect. New Nanos — probably with a camera — should be announced; the venerable iPod Classic line will likely be killed off in favor of a 64GB iPod Touch; the usual seasonal change of hues and colors.
But there’s another thing everyone is expecting Apple to announce today: the availability of Beatles tracks on iTunes after years of conspicuous absence. The dispute — long predicated by Apple Record’s belief that Apple Computers violated an agreement not to move into the music business — has seen the most influential and best-selling rock band of all time missing from Apple’s catalogue, but there’s reason to think an announcement would be made today: today is also the day when the digital remasters of the Beatles catalogue become available, as well as Beatles Rock Band.
But don’t hold your breath: according to EMI, the Beatles will not be coming to iTunes today, or in the foreseeable future.
“Conversations between Apple and EMI are ongoing and we look forward to the day when we can make the music available digitally. But it’s not tomorrow,” Ernesto Schmitt, EMI’s global catalog president.
From a financial perspective, this makes sense. EMI is going to begin releasing fully remastered Beatles albums starting today: why would they cannibalize those sales by slapping the whole catalogue up on iTunes and let users pick through a track at a time. But mark my words: the second those album sales start to flag, Apple Records and Apple Computers will finally make up.
Read more at The Financial Times
By: John Brownlee
