“Talks have begun that could finally make the songs of The Beatles available for sale online, sources familiar with the situation said,” John Borland reports for CNET News. “Representatives for The Beatles have spoken with numerous online music providers, ranging from small companies to Microsoft, which is planning to open an Internet music store this year. The Beatles’ side is asking for a considerable sum in return for providing exclusive online distribution rights, perhaps for as long as a year or more.”
“‘They are looking for someone to come up with the ideal way to put The Beatles online,’ one digital music executive told CNET News.com… But it may be some time before ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ and ‘Let it Be’ are sold on Apple Computer’s iTunes or on Napster. One idea being considered is a Beatles-branded store that would be the only place online where the group’s music, videos and other multimedia products would be sold, sources said. The store could be operated by one of the existing online music services,” Borland reports.
“The long shadow of The Beatles has already touched the world of digital music. Apple Corps–the company formed by The Beatles in 1968 to manage their business interests–sued Apple Computer in a dispute over the use of the Apple name and logo after last year’s release of the iTunes song store,” Borland reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yes, one can find every song ever recorded by The Beatles on P2P networks, but the first legal online distributor would score a coup of sorts by landing The Beatles – especially if the deal is an exclusive for a decent period of time. It’ll probably take deep pockets, so Microsoft could be looking to trump Apple here. “The Beatles only in WMA.” Or maybe the remaining Beatles still can recognize what’s cool and they’ll decide to Think Different.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Forbes: Apple vs. Apple; iTunes Music Store just might end up with exclusive Beatles deal – September 12, 2003
Sadly, I think everyone involved on The Beatles side will go for the money . . . Sort of ruins the music when I think about it. But I’m with MDN�here’s to hoping they’ll Think Different.
Maybe Apple can kill two birds with one stone. Settle the suit over the use of “Apple” and come up with a agreement on selling the Beatles music. When it’s all said and done, maybe iTunes can be called “Apple iTunes”.
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Cool, I submitted this story to MDN and it got published.
Am I forgiven for my trolling behavior?
Mac OS X isn’t a security ridden piece of shit anymore.
(you have applied the latest software update correct?)
Maybe we’ll hear something about this on the 15th
Who are The Beatles?
Just kidding guys my Mum told me.
The Beatles will stick to WMA because it’s not a propietary format like ACC. And they’ll have “Yesterday” implemented as blue screen of death system sound in Longhorn, too.
This will strengthen their legal case against Apple, they could be in competing in the same market.
“Or maybe the remaining Beatles still can recognize what’s cool and they’ll decide to Think Different.”
You’re joking right..
these pricks are suing apple.. they’re not ‘recognizing coolness’ anytime soon..
hopefully we won’t be subjected to wings downloads
Hey, Mike! Some people just want to fill the world with silly love songs! What’s wrong with that? I’d like to know!
I’m just interested in a few Beatles songs, so this would be a “good thing” – agree that it would also be interesting if they could settle both the disagreement and begin to offer the songs at the same time…
Mr. Chunks – my, how quickly the attitude changed, notwithstanding the vulgarity… are you positively, ABSOLUTELY, 100% SURE that OS X is “safe” now? You mean to say all Apple had to do was release a small (1MB) file update and everything is all sweet smelling again? What happened to all the gloom and doom and “OS X is just as bad as XP” and your claim that OS X has problems that are a “thousand times worse than any worm”? Is the quick-fix patch Apple released all that it took? [arms crossed] Chunky, you go’ some ‘splain’ to do… or did you just fly off the handle in several earlier threads because this is an easy, anonymous place to vent? That’s okay, ya know, but not responding when challenged on such wild claims, yes, tends to lean some thinking that you’re headed towards the trollish – since you seem to be back again, maybe you would care to shed some additional light on the plight of those poor victims of “account hijacking” you so graphically described – did this fix in fact plug that hole and ALL those “other” problems you just had to vaguely make reference to in earlier posts? Inquiring minds…
Sgt Pepper in AAC format!
—
http://homepage.mac.com/johnhood
Beatles exclusive in ITMS would be cool but MDN is right that this is just the kind of thing M$ might go for. No talent or innovation required, just lots of cash to throw at it.
aw2 wow bitles, i leaved whole life without them, so did many people, dont think it will make that much differenec lol, as i sad aw wow bitles, “sarcasm”.
Money makes the world go round, the world go round
Would Lennon on his throne beside God please send some sense into the heads of McCartney and Star and tell them they ought to be ashamed of their greed…
Don’t think The Beatles will go with Apple Computer unfortunately.
They’re more like Microsoft in their skill at screwing money out of suckers over the years (he he, me included). They certainly haven’t created anything revolutionary since the ’60s.
Besides, who doesn’t already own/know someone who has their music catalogue anyway? Will it sell? Or is that not the point? Maybe online video will change that somewhat since many people don’t have their films, but the audio? What’s there that’s “new and improved”?
These guys were great in the ’60s, but now they’ve turned into suits. Sorry, but maybe the past is the best place for these guys.
Right on, Macaday.
I think The Beatles will do something along the lines of Prince’s website. Which sadly would mean non-iPod compatible WMA format, as Apple aren’t in the business of licensing FairPlay.
anyone seen this ?
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=8871
Only 2.5 ghz but pretty cool anyway
Anyone like Pulp Fiction?
Your either an Elvis fan or a Beatles Fan. Personally, Im an Elvis fan, and the “original boy band” can kiss my @ss
Don’t rule Apple out, Jobs is bright enough to realize that the Beatles are worth having as a loss leader,
I don’t think Ringo and Paul are the ones actually steering the lawsuit. I suspect its a bunch of greedy lawers who saw an oppurtunity to make some more money for doing nothing(isn’t that what most lawers do anyway?).
Not that Ringo & Paul didn’t give a head nod to procede, but I doubt seriously if they were having a phone call and said, “Lets sue that computer company… again”.
And I think its entirely possible that Ringo & Paul weren’t involved with the lawsuit at all… that the whole thing could have been done without their knowledge.
I guess the real question is does Paul use Mac’s or PC’s to run his bank of synths? That would be a good indication of who’ll get the songs.
While it might provide some nice publicity to be the exclusive home of the Beatles’ music, I don’t think it is that important. I’m inclined to believe that most Beatles fans will already have most of the stuff on CD, and for those who REALLY want it, they’ll turn to friends or P2P, especially if they have an iPod.
And are these guys still relevant? I don’t mean that in a disrespectful manner, but how many Beatles albums sell every year? Again, I’m just curious to know, it could be a lot for all I know.
Anybody who truly wants Beatles music already owns their CD’s and is capable of ripping them to itunes. So these people have no intention of downloading inferior quality Beatles tunes unless they release some exclusives which is highly unlikely. They held out too long and can’t release new music so their product is extremely limited in long term revenue streams.