Apple, Jobs and EMI set to unveil 'new digital offering'

[UserName]

Seems uncle Steve has got something up his sleeve for tomorrow in London with EMI. Is The Beatles finally going to appear in iTunes?

Over at Macworld the following announcement has just been made:

Apple and EMI plan joint announcement Monday
Apple boss Steve Jobs will join EMI chief Eric Nicoli to announce 'digital offering'
Jonny Evans

Apple CEO Steve Jobs will appear at a joint EMI and Apple press conference on Monday 2 April at 1pm.

Jobs will join EMI CEO Eric Nicoli at the event, which takes place at EMI's London headquarters, according to invitations from the music company distributed to journalists on the afternoon of Sunday 1 April.

The invitation reads: "Please join EMI Group CEO Eric Nicoli at EMI’s headquarters on Monday 2 April at 1pm London/8am New York time to hear about an exciting new digital offering, with special guest, Apple CEO Steve Jobs."

A special live performance by an unannounced artist will also feature at the event, the invitation confirms.

This event takes place after months of rumours claiming that music from The Beatles will be made available through iTunes, but this speculation hasn't yet been confirmed.

You can read the story at Macworld UK

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index...S&newsID=17647

[Trendannoyer]

dang!

you beat me to it!

[cutemartin]

Could be the Beatles, or could be about DRM...

But, imagine the effect if it were BOTH

[UserName]

I'd say EMI is to announce they remove the DRM on their music - iTunes being the first to offer DRM free music to download. Pricing remaininig at same level.

Ohh.. there is one more thing.. The Beatles available as from Tuesday all over iTunes (Beatles iPod?)

[fuzz_ball]

I wouldn't be surprised; after all, the talks about Starbucks and ITMS, and the Beatles big announcement about being available in Starbucks, I just kind of assumed Beatles-ITMS was going to happen any day to complete the circle...

Of course I like the one idea above about no-DRM; that would be interesting.

[UserName]

Maybe the EMI's Eric Nicoli and Steve Jobs will take a little walk down Abbey Road?

[mgkwho]

I'm hoping for the Beatles too.

http://digg.com/apple/Steve_Jobs_and...ence_on_Monday

Everyone reporting says this isn't an April Fool's prank, but MacWorld.co.uk doesn't mention anything about it being one.

-=|Mgkwho

[UserName]

Actually MacWorld.co.uk was the first to publish this (check my link in my first post) and now MacRumors and LoopRomers have followed the story on the press release issued this afternoon.

Letting music free of the DRM chains surely would set off a "Revolution" (hmm another Beatles song), but totally fits the path EMI and Apple have set out some time ago. Check Steve Job's open letter back in February about the DRM subject and check the reactions from the industry. I will not at all be surprised (or will I?)

"You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world"

... blasting through the speakers as Mr Jobs is invited on the stage with a very big smile on his face

[AppleInsider]

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs will appear at a joint EMI and Apple press conference on Monday to make a special announcement, Macworld UK is reporting.

Jobs will reportedly join EMI CEO Eric Nicoli at the event, which takes place at EMI's London headquarters

"Please join EMI Group CEO Eric Nicoli at EMI’s headquarters on Monday 2 April at 1pm*London/8am New York time to hear about an exciting new digital offering, with special guest, Apple CEO Steve Jobs," said invitations distributed to journalists on Sunday.

Though speculation would suggest such an event may involve an announcement regarding The Beatles' music catalog and iTunes, Macworld UK cites sources who warn that Monday's announcement is unrelated to that matter.

The Apple trade publication added that a special live performance by an unannounced artist will also be featured.

An audio webcast of the press conference will be made available at the EMI Group's website.

Update: The BBC has also picked up on the story, and suggests the announcement is likely to be Beatles-related.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[onlooker]

I hope it's the Beatles. SJ has been wanting to get the Beatles on iTunes forever.

[JavaCowboy]

I doubt this is about dropping DRM. If it is, then it will fan the flames of the anti-DRM crowd, who have accused Jobs of hyporisy for not dropping DRM from iTunes tracks from independent artists who sell their music without DRM elsewhere (ex artists who are both on emusic and iTunes).

Should Apple announce dropping DRM on EMI tracks, then they had damn well better simultaneously drop DRM from any artist or label that does not want it. If not, Jobs' letter will turn out to have been disingenuous.

[Slewis]

Hmmm To assume or not to assume this is an April 1st Joke...

If it's not then Macworld UK chose a bad time to report it

Sebastian

[onlooker]

My bad - MIsread something.

[bwik]

It would be super ironic to have the Beatles release their albums in horrible 128k AAC audio quality as the world debut of their remastered catalog(ue).

At least give us 192k AAC for our hard-earned currency! Thank you!

[HiddenWolf]

Reporting it tomorrow wouldn't make much sense now, would it?
The conference being tomorrow and all.

[palegolas]

"about an exciting new digital offering" sounds like a little announcement. I'm sure Beatles on iTunes is a big announcement for a lot of people, but for me it's just another release. A little announcement. But why would Steve Jobs be there to tell a crowd of journalists that The Beatles is now on iTunes? That sounds too small a news piece for Steve to fly over to London. In order of it being an "exciting" offering I think the announcement should include a little surprise. The first DRM free release would be great, and I'm sure they want the Beatles to be played in every digital player in the world, without any hazzle.. It's not very far fetched. It would be a great move. After all it should be up to the artists and labels to make the decision of whether to use DRM or not.

[scotty321]

Is this an April Fool's joke?

[mgkwho]

Originally Posted by scotty321

Is this an April Fool's joke?

no.

-=|Mgkwho

[Banalltv]

Originally Posted by UserName

Ohh.. there is one more thing.. The Beatles available as from Tuesday all over iTunes (Beatles iPod?)

it's a BEATLEPOD!

or an iPod with legs and a laser engraved carapace.

or a duet.

Couldn't Steve's digital offering simply be giving DRM the fingers?

Digital offering? I'll give ya a digital offering... rassafrassa

[MajorMatt]

Leopard top secret features?

[DoctorSpin]

Interesting to see this news happen to come up today for an event tomorrow. Usually we know well in advance and that leads to several threads of wild speculation (as opposed to just this one ) as to what it could possibly be. It could be the Beatles, but ONLY the Beatles? I think EMI has Radiohead in their stable as well, maybe it's paul and Ringo with Thom Yorke backing them up.

[JeffDM]

I still think there's a chance that this is another hoax. I know I'm being overly cynical, it's safe and easy to label anything announced on April 1 as a hoax and ask questions later.

[eAi]

Then its a pretty bad hoax isn't it? If it was a hoax, it'd be announcing something interesting like the video ipod being released tomorrow, or the iphone being canceled, or Apple being bought by Microsoft...

The fact this is short notice would suggest the Beatles thing - quite why its so short notice, I've no idea though... It may be the Beatles thing + something else. The fact its in London does really suggest the Beatles to me.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by MajorMatt

Leopard top secret features?

LOL

[Trendannoyer]

Originally Posted by palegolas

But why would Steve Jobs be there to tell a crowd of journalists that The Beatles is now on iTunes? That sounds too small a news piece for Steve to fly over to London.

harrison put money into "The Life of Brian" its a film.. you may have heard of it....

now, that was George Harrisons OWN private money... MAYBE?

BUT, as Apple Inc have got hold of all the AppleCORE trademarks and things, and licence certain things back to AppleCORE as per the agreement reached earlier in the year....

would a BIGer announcment be some MOVIES on iTunes in the UK AT LAST?

IF somehow Harrisons money was tied up and into AppleCORE and "The Life of Brian" is somehow tied in as part of that??

bit of a long stretch... i know... but just whacky enough.


also... if ringo and paul are gonna play... and YOU were steve... wouldnt YOU go see the last two beatles perform together possibly one last time?

i know i would

[gremlin]

Wasn't TimeWarner trying to buy EMI recently? Wouldnt it be fab if Apple beat em to it and snapped up EMI! They would have a propper seat at the table then, rather than steve turning up at the record co's door like a salesman!

[Flounder]

well, macrumors thinks it's DRM free music. no beatles. it'll be interesting to find out it the morning! There's an AP story speculating it'll be the beatles now. Some people may be pretty disappointed.

[Ireland]

NEWS JUST IN; IT IS IN FACT ABOUT DRM FREE EMI MUSIC! Wall Street Journal reports.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by gremlin

Wouldnt it be fab if Apple beat em to it and snapped up EMI!

No way.

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by Flounder

well, macrumors thinks it's DRM free music. no beatles. it'll be interesting to find out it the morning! There's an AP story speculating it'll be the beatles now. Some people may be pretty disappointed.

Just because they "think" its DRM free music means nothing. I think its Jobs going to take over EMI. That has about the same believability (unless mac rumors is quoting some unnamed source).

The only thing of import that this could be would be video in the UK. Second, maybe, would be lossless files, but that won't happen (too expensive on broadband cost).

DRM-free would be limited and, since it already exists anyway (heard of CDs, limewire, kazaa, etc), its not going to change anything. And, lest we forget, if they go DRM free, there's no more a requirement for an iPod for your music. Apple wouldn't like that. And you don't think the other stores would still be selling the same music DRM'd? So then there's no reason to shop at the iTMS either.

Beatles music on-line is hardly exciting. They haven't made any new music in 35 years. Anyone who cares already has the whole collection. And no one would be (well, SHOULD be) stupid enough to go nuts and buy their new remastered catalogue in 128KB AAC. ("Hey, we've just redid our music and its better sounding then ever! Now we're slicing it through a cheese grater to make it really small so it'll sound just like it did before!").

Hey, maybe Apple's going to announce a widescreen iPod, or an iPhone that people can actually afford.

Or, maybe this is it!!!! The Powerbook G5!!!!!!!! OMG, its finally a reality! And did they ever play it close to the vest. The whole switchover to Intel was just to throw the rumor sites off the scent! Man, that Jobs is one clever guy!

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by Ireland

NEWS JUST IN; IT IS IN FACT ABOUT DRM FREE EMI MUSIC! Wall Street Journal reports.

And if you read it, it says "a significant amount of its catalog". My guess is, if this so-called report is true, that's the back-catalog, not the new stuff (which would be fine by me).

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by Ireland

NEWS JUST IN; IT IS IN FACT ABOUT DRM FREE EMI MUSIC! Wall Street Journal reports.

I don't think WSJ does April Fool's jokes, so I'd agree with this bit of speculation...

[Feynman]

No Beatles in Apple/EMI deal: source

Apple Inc and music label EMI Group Plc plan to announce "an exciting new digital offering", EMI said today, renewing speculation of a deal to put the Beatles music catalogue online.

However, a source said a Beatles deal would not be featured at the event tomorrow.

"There is no Beatles' announcement," the source said.

EMI said it plans to hold a news conference tomorrow at its London headquarters, where EMI Chief Executive Eric Nicoli will be joined by Apple Chief Executive and co-founder Steve Jobs, the company said in an email to reporters.

A live Webcast of the event, which will feature "a special live performance", will be available at http://www.emigroup.com beginning at 1pm local time in London (2200 AEST).

JupiterResearch analyst Michael Gartenberg said a tie-up between Apple and EMI could cover a range of issues, but that a Beatles distribution pact was not likely part of the deal.

"While the Beatles are the obvious choice, the invitation does mention a 'special live performance' and it is clear that that live performance does not cover the Beatles," Gartenberg said.

"There are a lot of other possibilities."

Currently, no Beatles songs can be downloaded via online music services. EMI has acted as the distributor for the Beatles since the early 1960s.

The news event follows the settlement in February of a long-running trademark dispute between Apple Inc. and the Beatles' company, Apple Corps Ltd.

This cleared a hurdle for selling the songs of the Fab Four, which have been a high-profile holdout from internet music services like iTunes.

At the high-profile launch of the Apple iPhone in January, Steve Jobs raised hopes that the band could be about to go digital when it played one of their songs and used a Beatles' album cover to grace a giant on-stage screen behind him.

Beyond any potential deal with EMI involving the Beatles, Apple and EMI could be working on a means for eliminating restrictions that prevent unauthorised duplication of digital music.

Earlier this year, Jobs called on the world's four major record companies, including EMI, to start selling songs online without copy protection software to thwart piracy known as digital rights management.

Jobs said there appeared to be no benefit for the record companies in continuing to sell more than 90 per cent of their music without DRM on compact discs, while selling the remaining small percentage of music online encumbered with a DRM system.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/digita...66120017.html#

[benjamin_r]

Wall Street Journal Story

Apparently they are going to drop DRM! Which is like.... WOW, no DRM, they must have come up with a more creative way to screw us over.

meh.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by SpamSandwich

I don't think WSJ does April Fool's jokes, so I'd agree with this bit of speculation...

They've been right so far.

[emig647]

Even though I'm slightly thinking this could be a hoax (april fools day)... I will go on the record and say I will purchase DRM free music just to support this. I only listen to very underground stuff, but I'll be open to purchasing this. I absolutely HATE the current set up of iTMS. I have downloaded 1 album and 1 song from iTMS... and as it currently stands I won't do it again. The quality wasn't as high as cd, and you aren't allowed to redownload songs you have lost. I bought Mitch Hedberg's last cd, a few days later my g5 KP'd and I lost just about everything. iTMS support said too bad. The other song I got was from the pepsi giveaway when they first opened. I am constantly annoyed with entering my password on that and redoing the keys every time I get a new computer. I go through pcs every 3-5 months (they have the mass storage as my apple laptops do not and that is why I play my music off of them), and am always having to redo the keys on that 1 song. It's annoying. So at least that problem would be taken care of.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by benjamin_r

Wall Street Journal Story

Apparently they are going to drop DRM! Which is like.... WOW, no DRM, they must have come up with a more creative way to screw us over.

meh.

Steve made his point, and if this is factual, it has finally sunk in for someone.

[tonton]

EMI will never be the first to release DRM. Remember? They were the first to add "Copy Controlled" to compact discs!!! And they're still manufacturing discs that have it!

EMI is the worst offender when it comes to DRM. They won't be so easy to repent.

[benjamin_r]

Crap... sorry Ireland... I just did the lazy post and didn't see you had already posted the WSJ link.

My bad.

b.

[TBaggins]

Dbl post.