iPods with cameras? Maybe. iTunes with new features? For sure. iTunes with Beatles? Nope. I’m sure that Apple (AAPL) will indeed sell the Fab Four’s music via its digital music store one day. But it’s not happening at Apple’s keynote presentation tomorrow.
The Beatles estate, Electronic Arts (ERTS) and Viacom’s MTV (VIA) will be releasing a new version of “Rock Band” that features the bands songs tomorrow. And on the same day, EMI Music Group will be releasing all of the band’s music on remastered compact discs. But that’s it, a source familiar with the band’s plans tells me. For now.
Beatles-to-iTunes is a story that never goes away. And some day, it will turn out to be true — there’s no good reason for it not to happen. But predictions that it will happen have been tied to wafer-thin logic.
Two years ago, the Web was convinced an announcement was in the offing because of the wording of an Apple keynote invitation. This year, even sober-minded publications are noting the timing of Apple’s keynote event, and the Rock BandRock Band reviews and CD launches, and concluding that an iTunes launch makes sense, too… Read on at allthingsd.com
Streaming music service SpotifySpotify has launched on the iPhone and AndroidAndroid devices for its premium subscribers only. You can download it from Apple’s App Store here and the Android Market. Though plans to launch there are in play, the service is not yet live in the US, and it has already taken several European markets by storm. This iPhone app is basically identical to the leaked beta we reviewed in detail.
The mobile apps will allow you to play the entire Spotify catalogue and the ‘offline mode’ caches playlists so they can be played… when you are offline, like on a plane. Spotify has set up a special mobile section with more details.
The launch of this mobile version now fires the starting gun on their US launch plans. A large number of record labels have actually invested in the Swedish-born, London-based startup, which is now valued at €170 million, or about $242 million, with a post money valuation of around €200 million… Read on at TechCrunch.com
While even bigwigs can fudge release numbers from time to time, the word “imminently” just carries a certain aura. Speaking with The Telegraph, executive producer of MSN Peter Bale confessed that Microsoft was “looking at launching a music streaming service imminently.” As in, maybe before the dawn of August. Bale added that it would be “a similar principle to SpotifySpotify,” but the outfit is still examining exactly how the business model would work. It’s expected that the service would let users stream tunes for free so long as they listen to ads every half hour or so, but for those with too little time and too many jams, there could be a paid option that strips the plugs. Read on at Engadget…
Earlier today we wrote about a survey which shows that, at least in the UK, kids aren’t pirating music as much as they used to, simply because they can access this music through other methods, one of them being streaming. Read on at Mashable…
Internet radio’s future has been somewhat uncertain since 2007, when a significant hike in royalties threatened the viability of companies like PandoraPandora and Last.fm. Additionally, many of these services remain either inaccessible or only available for-pay in many countries outside of the US because the cost of paying royalties simply exceeds the money that is being brought in through advertising. Details…
iPods with cameras? Maybe. iTunes with new features? For sure. iTunes with Beatles? Nope. I’m sure that Apple (AAPL) will indeed sell the Fab Four’s music via its digital music store one day. But it’s not happening at Apple’s keynote presentation tomorrow.
and CD launches, and concluding that an iTunes launch makes sense, too…
Streaming music service 
is basically identical to the leaked beta we reviewed in detail.