It’s the announcement Steve Jobs has been waiting to make for years: that one of his favorite bands, and perhaps the greatest of all time, will finally be available on the music store that he created. Now he may have just had his thunder stolen. Two hours ago, Sky News reported that the Fab Four are finally coming to iTunes, attributing the news to John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono, who is in charge of managing the music legend’s estate. The story kicked off with the headline:
“The whole of the Beatles back catalogue will be made available to buy on iTunes, Yoko Ono has told Sky News.”
But almost immediately after publishing the story Sky News killed it, leaving nothing but a blank page in its wake. Google News had a cache of it for a brief time, but that too has apparently disappeared in record time. 9to5mac spotted the article and reached Sky News for more information, only to be told that the news organization was unable to comment.
At this point there are two possibilities: Sky either made a major blunder and posted something that was untrue, or Apple has unleashed its hounds on the news network. My guess is the latter. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that The Beatles on iTunes will be announced tomorrow (the Sky report, or what’s left of it, doesn’t make a release date clear). In fact, a report in the Financial Times today quotes EMI global catalog president Ernesto Schmitt as explicitly ruling out a 9/9/09 release, stating, “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.”
Another interesting point from the FT article: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison want to sell the Beatles catalog on iTunes, but EMI has objected because of concerns over piracy, of all things (according to McCartney, EMI is worried about being held liable if any tracks leak to the web). Of course, the only way to obtain digital versions of The Beatles catalog online at this point is through piracy.
It’s too bad that media can’t report on the news anymore without major corporations approval.
Looks like killing Apple’s surprise elements from the Event is a great sin. But is Google too afraid of Apple’s hounds? I guess it was Schimdt’s (the ex-board member’s) intervention.
Whatever be the case, Yoko Ono should have already made a lot of money for leaking the news. Poor Sky news, though it broke the news, it is not able to keep it on its page.
WTF? Why would Yoko make money for leaking the news? She makes money regardless of when it’s announced.
On another note, has Yoko Ono ever done anything that hasn’t hurt the Beatles in any way? God I hate that woman…
Love is the answer
Yes, love that woman!
All you need is love.
Love is all you need.
WTF??? How can you prove that she did not receive anything for leaking out news? If not a huge sum, at least a compensation? The sudden buzz she gets is a worthy compensation.
who cares? doesn’t everyone already HAVE these songs?
ditto.
So true! Well stated.
great point. is this even news? 40 year old songs that most people have a license for in some for or another.
I don’t know. I purchased the Led Zeppelin collection because all my tapes had worn out and I never had the CD’s
(only kidding a little)
“Of course, the only way to obtain digital versions of The Beatles catalog at this point is through piracy.”
Or ripping them from a CD.
Good catch, clarified in the post.
…or ripping from vinyl.
and then sharing online…
Yeah, I think the cat’s already out of the bag on this one. EMI might as well tap into the massive revenue they can get out of The Beatles now.
No wonder the big labels are bleeding money, the execs have no idea how to make a profit. They sound like the kind of people that need help making sure they don’t put boot feet in one pant leg when they dress. Either that or they’re a bunch of manatees choosing balls from a pile to make business decisions.
If we want to get technical, the CDs themselves are digital. No ripping required, it’s already 1s and 0s.
Didn’t EMi – who actually own the distribution rights I think – just say “lolno!1!”
“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, told the FT’s Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson.
From the Financial Times.
You know, bloggers used to at least do a bit of investigation in the old days.
Just sayin’.
concerns over privacy or piracy?
The beatles are hardly one of the greatest bands ever. It has been shown that all of their greatest hits we direct rip-offs of existing work. That is why they all quickly resolved to churning out endless streams of total crap. Fail.
Like it wasn’t obvious enough.
O rly?
This is hardly a surprise considering the Apple event, the remastered cds and the Rock Band game are all happening on 9/9/09. The only surprise is whether or not Paul and Ringo will appear live at the Apple event.
whats all the fuss about? all songs are available on the interwebs. all we download those pirated songs, whats big deal with beatles? they have been up there for grabbing for years.
ah it will be on itunes, which is an Apple product. Now I get it, its apple, so its big deal even if it’s not.
Lennon looks like a hairy Jobs in that photo.
Chopper 4?
Wrong. Steve Jobs looks like a clean cut (and balding) John Lennon.
Yoko in the Sky with Headlines..
If this is to be announced, which seems highly likely now, it would be great if the ‘cocktail’ features were also launched to promote the Beatles back catalogue!
There is absolutely no way that Apple would do something as *revolution*ary as releasing the entire beatles catalog on 9/9/09
that doesn’t make any sense
number 9…
number 9…
number 9…
number 9…
I have Beatles songs on my ipod because i bought the CDs. Plus the prices for the Beatles music on iTunes will probably be through the roof…it’s better off just buying the new remastered CDs and having a hard copy then to buy music that’s floating around in the hard drive in your computer. My hard drive decided to delete all my songs. Luckily, I had all my songs on CD. Then I went and bought a Mac, and life was better…
Let’s see: believe a firm, direct quote, that has solid reporting and remains available, from the one group who will definitely know or… believe an indirect statement allegedly from someone completely outside of the matter because it gets immediately pulled for reason unknown? I’ll take the latter.
Dumbass.
EMI is worried about piracy? I would be devastating if anyone ever pirated any of their music.
http://www.goog...tles+rapidshare
“they say you want a revolution”
well I’m sure that the beatles have made a few pennies (even lanes full) off this. Maybe it’s time to swing back to their hippy roots & announce that from now on their music is free & can be remixed (cocktail like) in anyway one would like to. The beatles ruled the world at one point & if they opened their catalog up. We will be seeing remake after remake forever more. Making them the most popular & enduring band in history
If it is true, and both Apple and Yoko knew about it, what’s the big deal? If something is going to happen and one party is waiting for “the right tine” to make the announcement, then gets scooped, it is their own fault.
As most of these comments indicate, most people have a perfectly good copy of these songs already. Now to get them you have to have an itunes account whether you use an IPROUD or not.
I hope no one pirates Beatles music or any music for that matter. Apple doesn’t have enough money.
I watched it come up on sky news, then it went away, I thought it was strange and though a law firm made it go away. I would not be surprised if this was a great marketing Idea, leak it take it off the web and watch the web be set on fire about it.
Whatever happens Its a win win for apple and the record company.
This is the best way to hype it up if it is coming, great job sky news, got me interested.
These kinds of leaks happen the day before Apple events. I expect the Cocktail format to be employed just for these Beatles albums.
I was wondering what was taking so long to get the Beatles on i-Tunes!
Funny the top sites already had both the stereo as well mono sets available last week. At this point they are seeded to Torrent, P2P, Usenet etc.
The only people who actually buy music are the sheep who buy iPods.
Pillage, Plunder, Repeat.
H3X
Sire
MOD
UMT
when is dirk diggler coming to itunes?
Why do we need the Beatles on itunes anyway; all there fans already have the music and i doubt you will have any young people purchasing it.
If they are coming it is just for show because every last fan already has there music its not like there putting out any new music.
If this was seriously the “big news” Apple was planning to announce tomorrow, I don’t even know what to say. I’m not knocking the Beatles, I love them as much as the next guy, but… damn, who cares?
Yoko ruins everything.
you can’t say that enough
Ya know… Apple Inc and the Beatles record label, Apple Corps Ltd., have been having on going disputes about trademarks and iTunes for years. Supposedly all settled finally in 2007, but maybe still plays a role in bringing Beatles music to Apple.??
Give me a break.
You act like Apple doing a PR announcement is the be all and end all.
It’s just a company making an announcement.
Please stop promoting Apple like they are some amazing gift the human race (hint: Jobs and his backdated options show otherwise)
Who the f. are The Beatles ?
Do they have video clips ?
Are they on YouTube ?
Can you download for free ?
Are they in the gossip magazines ?
The current music world is no longer about music but scoops about Madonna, Britney and Lady GaGa have become important.
Yeah guys, its all Yoko’s fault, you know; global warming, war, famine, its all her (allegedly!!!).
Now, how about sharing a bit with Sean, hey hey!