You Can Finally Download The Beatles Via iTunes

Elizabeth Grunewald

The Pope of Chilitown
Oct 4, 2010
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You Can Finally Download The Beatles Via iTunes

After what seems like forever, Apple and record label EMI have reached an agreement that makes The Beatles' entire back catalogue available to download from iTunes.

Since its launch in 2003, the iTunes store has boasted some notable omissions -- Led Zepplin (who has since joined the fold), AC/DC, most of Radiohead -- but today, one of the biggest holdouts can be stricken off of that list. Apple [http://www.apple.com/the-beatles/] announced this morning that it had reached an agreement with record label EMI, resulting in the entire back catalogue of Beatles tunes being made available for download. Individual songs will retail for $1.29 (99p), while albums will run $12.99 (£10.99).

This is the latest in a long run of legal disputes between the record label and the tech giant. The BBC reminds us that "for years The Beatles' music label Apple Corps was involved in a bitter trademark dispute with Apple the computer company. The dispute was finally settled in 2007." Today's announcement came with the blessing of each of the Fab Four's estates, indicating that the holdout was on the part of the record label, and not the band itself.

The BBC also notes a possible olive branch from Apple to Beatles fans: to complete your digital music collection in one fell swoop, "a box set, containing all 13 remastered studio albums is available for £125 [$149.99 USD]. It includes the Beatles very first US concert in its entirety." I may hold out, though; I've heard on good authority that money can't buy me love.


Source: HitFix [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11763650]

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Onyx Oblivion

Borderlands Addict. Again.
Sep 9, 2008
17,032
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Wait...LZ isn't on iTunes?

Well, at least The Beatles FINALLY are. Even if I don't like them enough to buy anything.
 

dex-dex

New member
Oct 20, 2009
2,531
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weird.
I just took the CDs I already bought of th beatles and ripped them to my library.
 

Canid117

New member
Oct 6, 2009
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Onyx Oblivion said:
Wait...LZ isn't on iTunes?

Well, at least The Beatles FINALLY are. Even if I don't like them enough to buy anything.
LZ was released a few years ago but they were a holdout for a long time.
 

Mr.Mattress

Level 2 Lumberjack
Jul 17, 2009
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Finally! Now I need some Itunes points to buy their White Album... And I need them NOW!!!

Shame that the latest Beatles singles, "Free as A Bird" and "Real Love" aren't up on Itunes yet. But whatever... BEATLES WOOT!!
 

DustyDrB

Made of ticky tacky
Jan 19, 2010
8,365
3
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I've already got all their albums from Beatles for Sale to Let it Be (not really crazy about the early albums). I might cave and get a few of them again, as the remastered versions sound much better. I especially notice this on my second favorite of their albums, Revolver.

Pugiron said:
Hipsters and old people rejoice!
You think only hipsters and old people like The Beatles? What bubble are you living in?
 

Truly-A-Lie

New member
Nov 14, 2009
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I bought the remastered complete set last year, but seeing how many people turn to iTunes as their first and only source of music purchases, it's good to know anyone curious can now find the music and give it a go.
 

Catalyst6

Dapper Fellow
Apr 21, 2010
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This is fantastic news for the people who didn't
A. Just buy the CDs years ago.
B. Find the old disks from the days long past.
C. Outright copy/pirate them.
D. Get them off Youtube.
E. Get them off another MP3 service (whether that site could legally sell them is irrelevant)
and so on.

So, what. Five people?
 

Hatchet90

New member
Nov 15, 2009
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Truly-A-Lie said:
I bought the remastered complete set last year, but seeing how many people turn to iTunes as their first and only source of music purchases, it's good to know anyone curious can now find the music and give it a go.
Your avatar is from Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, awesome!
 

Virgil

#virgil { display:none; }
Legacy
Jun 13, 2002
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Maybe if they had done it earlier, I would have cared. But last year Apple Records released a USB drive [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96855-Unboxing-The-Beatles-Limited-Edition-Stereo-USB] with all the Beatles music in both MP3 and FLAC, plus a bunch of videos and other info. [user]Trujkin[/user] and I both have one. Anyone could have easily gone out and bought/ripped the remastered CD sets by now.
 

Stilt-Man

New member
Dec 31, 2009
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Virgil said:
Maybe if they had done it earlier, I would have cared. But last year Apple Records released a USB drive [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96855-Unboxing-The-Beatles-Limited-Edition-Stereo-USB] with all the Beatles music in both MP3 and FLAC, plus a bunch of videos and other info. [user]Trujkin[/user] and I both have one. Anyone could have easily gone out and bought/ripped the remastered CD sets by now.
Exactly. Apple (the studio) is day late and a dollar short. Or rather, a decade late, and $149.00USD short; because the only people who will devour this are people who are JUST discovering the Beatles. Everyone else has had them ripped for awhile now.
 

Steve the Pocket

New member
Mar 30, 2009
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Didn't the whole reason for there being a roadblock in the first place stem from a trademark dispute over the fact that both companies are named "Apple"? You'd think this would have taught Apple (Steve Jobs' company, not the label) that maybe being too aggressive about one's trademarks causes more problems than it prevents.

Virgil said:
Maybe if they had done it earlier, I would have cared. But last year Apple Records released a USB drive [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96855-Unboxing-The-Beatles-Limited-Edition-Stereo-USB] with all the Beatles music in both MP3 and FLAC, plus a bunch of videos and other info. [user]Trujkin[/user] and I both have one. Anyone could have easily gone out and bought/ripped the remastered CD sets by now.
This. The only party that really cares about this is Apple (again, Steve Jobs' company), who now stand to make a fair bit of money off future iPod owners who happen to be Beatles fans (because all current iPod owners who are Beatles fans have already gotten ahold of the songs via one of the many other ? and if I may be so bold, better ? methods Catalyst16 mentioned). And even they probably realize that, after all this time, there's barely any point anymore. Though it might give them a leg up on dealing with the other hold-outs. "The most famous band that ever existed is on iTunes, so what makes you think you're so special?"
 

Timbydude

Crime-Solving Rank 11 Paladin
Jul 15, 2009
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Personally I can't stand The Beatles, but I'm surprised that they were absent from iTunes until now.

Obviously, with that legal dispute, I'm sure that they were working as hard as they could. I can't really think of a bigger omission from any music library.
 
Feb 13, 2008
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Virgil said:
Anyone could have easily gone out and bought/ripped the remastered CD sets by now.
True, but this means that future generations are able to listen to it legally as well, and you wouldn't want to deny them that, would you?