News
EMI, Apple holding joint announcement tomorrow [updated]
EMI will reportedly hold a press event in London on Monday with Apple CEO Steve Jobs as a special guest. In an invite sent to select media today, EMI, which has released the Beatles records since 1962, said it was announcing an “exciting new digital offering” and that there will be a “special live performance” at the event by an unnamed artist or band. The event follows months of speculation that Apple’s iTunes Store would be the first to offer music from the Beatles online following an agreement between Apple and the Beatles’ Apple Corps record label.
Update: An EMI spokesman said this was not an April Fool’s joke.
Update #2: A Reuters source “familiar with the situation” said a Beatles deal would not be announced at the event. “There is no Beatles’ announcement,” the source said.
Update #3: The Wall Street Journal now reports: “In a major reversal of the music industry’s longstanding antipiracy strategy, EMI Group PLC is set to announce Monday that it plans to sell significant amounts of its catalog without anticopying software, according to people familiar with the matter. The London-based music company is to make its announcement in a press conference that will feature Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs. EMI is to sell songs without the software—known as digital rights management, or DRM—through Apple’s iTunes Store and possibly through other online outlets, too.”
Related Stories
- Apple tweaks App Store with Editors’ Choice, Free picks
- Apple censors ‘jailbreak’ on iTunes Store
- Report: Siri APIs, Siri for iPad coming in iOS 6?
- Apple hit with class action suit over iTunes billing
- iTunes Match rolls out to several new countries
- Apple offers eBook settlement in Europe
Comments
If you have a comment, news tip, advertising inquiry, or coverage request, a question about iPods/iPhones/iPad or accessories, or if you sell or market iPod/iPhone/iPad products or services, read iLounge's Comments + Questions policies before posting, and fully identify yourself if you do. We will delete comments containing advertising, astroturfing, trolling, personal attacks, offensive language, or other objectionable content, then ban and/or publicly identify violators.
Recent News
- Pulp adds iCloud sync, new Home Page
- WordPress for iOS adds Push Notifications
- Sony launches Music Unlimited for iOS
- Apple device poll ends, computing poll begins
- Fruit Ninja adds new features and power-ups
- Apple to sell Nest Learning Thermostat
- Third-gen iPad to launch in Guam, Philippines May 29
- Apple tweaks App Store with Editors’ Choice, Free picks
- Panic releases Diet Coda
- Booq rolls out new Folio for iPad
Recent Reviews
- Pelican i1075 Hardback Case for iPad
- Skinit Skins for iPad (3rd-Generation)
- Spigen SGP Steinheil Ultra Optics Screen Protector for iPad (3rd-Gen)
- ZeroChroma VarioProtect for iPhone 4/4S
- BodyGuardz UltraTough Clear Skins for iPad (3rd-Gen)
- Wrapsol Original + Ultra Hybrid Protective Film for iPad 2/iPad (3rd-Gen)
- iBattz Mojo Removable Power Card Wallet
- dreamGEAR i.Sound Power View Pro S 2.1A Dual Charging Dock
- dreamGEAR i.Sound Universal Power View
- Sena Cases Florence Portfolio for iPad (3rd-Gen)
Recent Articles
- Removing music from iTunes after copying to iPod
- iOS Gems: Farm 123, Facebook Camera, Scribblenauts, Shoot the Zombirds + Virtua Tennis Challenge
- iTunes TV show size totals don’t match actual disk storage
- Consolidating Multiple iTunes Libraries
- Converting Purchased Videos to 1080p HD
- Find My Friends always reports home location
- Creating an iTunes Match library from an external hard drive
- Benefits of keeping apps in iTunes when using iCloud
- Recovering iTunes from an External Hard Drive
- Normalizing volume levels for Voice Memos
1
Hey, maybe they are announcing that the EMI catalog will be offered DRM free on iTunes?
Posted by wldkt619 on April 1, 2007 at 5:18 PM (PDT)
2
I bet it’s still the beatles thing… I don’t care what that one dude said.
Posted by brent on April 1, 2007 at 5:40 PM (PDT)
3
I really have a hard time seeing this happening.
But I still hope for it!!
Posted by jeremyjk1221 on April 1, 2007 at 7:45 PM (PDT)
4
Holy Schnikes! No DRM?
Posted by Galley in Greenville, SC on April 1, 2007 at 8:45 PM (PDT)
5
God… I was so excited, too :(
It’s not really that big of a deal for me because like I just download stuff and put it on my iPod. Whatever.
What artists are all on EMI?
Posted by brent on April 1, 2007 at 9:00 PM (PDT)
6
brent, you are part of the problem.
EMI is one of big four record companies. Huge slice of the market.
Posted by Japester on April 1, 2007 at 10:57 PM (PDT)
7
Uh, no Brent isn’t part of the problem. The guy who posts songs for download on Limewire is part of the problem. The guy who lets a friend rip copies of all his cds is part of the problem. The guy who purchases music and doesn’t share it is part of the solution.
Posted by Bart Lee on April 1, 2007 at 11:26 PM (PDT)
8
Apple is seriously going to convince the record labels to drop DRM just so they can allow people on your iPhone Book access to listen to what all their contacts are listening to by clicking play?
Posted by Jason Loop on April 2, 2007 at 1:57 AM (PDT)
9
i’ve not seen anything about this so far… but what would happen to our current drm’d files? will they release a tool to strip the drm from them, or can we download the emi ones again?
Posted by daniel n on April 2, 2007 at 3:09 AM (PDT)