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

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
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
«134

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 64
    dang!



    you beat me to it!
  • Reply 2 of 64
    Could be the Beatles, or could be about DRM...



    But, imagine the effect if it were BOTH
  • Reply 3 of 64
    usernameusername Posts: 15member
    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?)
  • Reply 4 of 64
    fuzz_ballfuzz_ball Posts: 390member
    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.
  • Reply 5 of 64
    usernameusername Posts: 15member
    Maybe the EMI's Eric Nicoli and Steve Jobs will take a little walk down Abbey Road?
  • Reply 6 of 64
    mgkwhomgkwho Posts: 167member
    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
  • Reply 7 of 64
    usernameusername Posts: 15member
    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
  • Reply 8 of 64
    AppleInsiderAppleInsider Posts: 63,192administrator
    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 EMIÂ?s headquarters on Monday 2 April at 1pmÂ*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.
  • Reply 9 of 64
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    I hope it's the Beatles. SJ has been wanting to get the Beatles on iTunes forever.
  • Reply 10 of 64
    javacowboyjavacowboy Posts: 864member
    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.
  • Reply 11 of 64
    slewisslewis Posts: 2,081member
    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
  • Reply 12 of 64
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    My bad - MIsread something.
  • Reply 13 of 64
    bwikbwik Posts: 565member
    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!
  • Reply 14 of 64
    Reporting it tomorrow wouldn't make much sense now, would it?

    The conference being tomorrow and all.
  • Reply 15 of 64
    palegolaspalegolas Posts: 1,361member
    "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.
  • Reply 16 of 64
    scotty321scotty321 Posts: 313member
    Is this an April Fool's joke?
  • Reply 17 of 64
    mgkwhomgkwho Posts: 167member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by scotty321 View Post


    Is this an April Fool's joke?



    no.



    -=|Mgkwho
  • Reply 18 of 64
    banalltvbanalltv Posts: 238member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by UserName View Post




    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
  • Reply 19 of 64
    majormattmajormatt Posts: 1,077member
    Leopard top secret features?
  • Reply 20 of 64
    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.
Sign In or Register to comment.