So if my prestigious coworker Philip Michaels is right , next week we ’ll see the release of The Beatles ’ catalogue on iTunes . This news program has literally been year in the devising , and the excitement palisade this likely announcement seems to be immense . Crowds are ( virtually ) forming outside the iTunes Store already … well , OK , maybe not . But you ’d have to be sleep - surfboarding not to have seen some reference of “ Beatles , ” “ iPod , ” and “ iTunes Store ” over the last dyad of twenty-four hour period onhundreds of sites , admit ours .
And here I sit , a child of the Beatles era — literally a child , as my first exposure to The Beatles came from hearing it dally on my parents ’ disc thespian . ( Anyone else think those ? ) While there are clearly grown Beatles sports fan in the world , I do enjoy their medicine , and presently have something over 30 of their Sung dynasty in my iTunes assembling . ( I ’m what you might consider a fair - weather fan , as I tend to choose their more popular song to the remainder of their catalog . ) The Beatles make some amazing songs , and definitely help convert the future of music — with over a billion “ units ” sold worldwide , they have emphatically left their mark . So with that background , you think I ’d be thrilled to hear they ’re on their way to iTunes .
The true statement is , my response to the rumors has been more along the lines of “ Umm , why does everyone seem to care so much ? ” The Beatles last released a new album , allow It Be , in 1970—37 years ago . Two of the base members have passed on ; there is no chance of any prescribed new Beatles music . In an eight - class career , The Beatles recorded atotal of 12 studio album , contain 183 songs ( based on the original UK loss ) . If each birdsong flow four minute ( generous by that epoch ’s monetary standard ) , we ’re talking about a grand amount of just over 12 60 minutes of medicine . Very unspoiled music , yes . But not a lot of it , and it ’s all quite former ( “ timeless , ” right ? ) .
If The Beatles ’ euphony had been out of photographic print , unavailable , or otherwise difficult to obtain in recent years , then I could understand the unbelievable interest in their release on iTunes . But that ’s not the case at all — their intact collection was iron to CD in 1987 , and since then , there have been legion special releases ( such asThe Beatles 1 , a appeal of their 27 No . 1 smasher , and various boxful stage set over the years ) . Between the continuing sale of the original recordings , and the generous licensing of the Lennon / McCartney catalog by joint proprietor Sony and Michael Jackson , Beatles music is plausibly more promptly uncommitted now than it was when the band was together . So a dearth of source is n’t the cause for the interest in the Beatles on iTunes . So what could it be ?
I can really only think of two things … well , one matter that I actually thought of , and another thatMacworldcontributorKirk McElhearnreminded me about . Kirk ’s spot is that The Beatles are really the big of the big in condition of the missing iTunes bands — having their content usable would really drive home the point that digital euphony buying really is the way to deal your songs in today ’s market . Over the last few years , the other lose big names have all come to iTunes , at least to some extent : Eagles , Rolling Stones , and Metallica , for instance , were all initial holdout that can now be establish in the store . If the Beatles are added to iTunes , I can only remember of two comparatively well known circle name that would be missing : Led Zeppelin ( who will be in the storage with one album only , anew greatest gain collection , on November 12 ) and Radiohead . In that sensory faculty , yes , the summation of The Beatles is moderately crucial . But really , the store has trade more than 3 billion songs from a catalog that ’s in excess of five million songs : I opine the iTunes Store has well base that digital sales are the undulation of the time to come , with or without The Beatles .
The other matter that might be driving the interest in seeing the Beatles in iTunes is that their music would ( most probable ) be fresh remastered for role on the store . As I understand it , their catalog was last remastered in 1987 , in formulation for the initial CD exit . ( Some item-by-item tracks may have been remastered more recently for usage on more recent collection ; I ’m not sure . ) In the intervening 20 years , the technology of remastering has been greatly meliorate , and it ’s quite potential that newly - reestablish Beatles song would sound very much good than what we ’re presently listening to . If you combine the remastered music with iTunes ’ newfangled DRM - freeiTunes Plus , then that may be a production deserving purchasing . However , as my assemblage was ripped from CD , I ’d probably select to buy one running and equate its sound to my master before I decided to raise my intact collection .
So how about it ? Whyisthere so much interest in and excitement over the possibility of The Beatles ’ music being available on the iTunes Store ? And if the current rhythm of Beatles - to - iTunes rumors turn over out to be put on … well , just think of this as get a mind start for the next time the hearsay number around !
