When Does Amazon and Everyone Else Get the Beatles? Good Question.

So you can buy the Beatles on iTunes. When will you be able to buy the band’s music from other digital retail outlets?

Good question, says EMI Music, the label that distributes the band’s music.

Apple has exclusive digital rights for the Beatles “into 2011,” says spokesman Dylan Jones, and he notes that the exclusivity doesn’t expire on the first of January. But he confirms that the exclusivity does indeed have an expiration date.

So when that date comes, we should expect to see the Beatles everywhere else you can get music online, right? Namely Amazon, and the subscription services that rent music by the month, like Spotify, Rhapsody and Microsoft’s Zune? Or Google, if and when it launches its music service?

“That’s a question, isn’t it,” Jones says, and doesn’t offer more.

Couple of theories here:

The easiest explanation is that the Beatles music will follow the path of other digital exclusives, and become widely available after Apple gets its run.
It’s also possible that Apple and the Beatles will renew their exclusive before it expires. That hasn’t happened before, but if Steve Jobs really, really wants to make it work, I guess he could.
The most intriguing possibility: The Beatles leave iTunes once their deal ends–and don’t come back to digital again. Seems silly, but big traditional media loves “windowing” their content, and I suppose someone might convince the band this would be a clever way to go–show up, make a splash, walk away and then try it again down the road, like a band that’s always going on a farewell tour. Hope not!

Anonymous

The question is would anyone buy it on Amazon, etc? We all have iTunes, it makes more sense just to buy it there. Amazon, etc… is what, a nickel cheaper? LOL. And, like the lame Kindle, they won’t say how much they are selling. (Not much.) And the subscription services? That makes no sense for music. If it does, then you would be better off just listening to the radio.
Anonymous

Yeah… but you’ve been able to buy the Beatles box set on Amazon for over a year. It’s Apple who’s late to this party. OK, it’s not a download, it’s the CD box set, but it costs less than the Apple download. As far as I know, CDs are digital, so I wonder how it is that Apple is said to have exclusive digital distribution rights…?

And really, apart from Steve Jobs, were there many people still waiting for the Beatles on iTunes? If you’re a big fan, you probably ripped the CDs long ago. If you’re not a big fan, today is hardly going to be a ‘day you’ll never forget’.
Anonymous

FWIW, I don’t have iTunes. :)
Anonymous

Good question. The last Beatles album was what, 40 years ago? So, who was the second biggest music artist, by album sales, in just the last decade? http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/1.....m-beatles/

Who was the third biggest music artist in 2009?
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielse.....and-vinyl/

I’m guessing there are a lot more fans out there than you realize.
Anonymous

The main reason to buy from Amazon? MP3 format. For those that don’t have/use/want an iPod (there are a few holdouts), then this makes sense.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TWBGM4XYUZJB2QHKTNRQTEBAUI DouglasS

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Anonymous

I won’t have iTunes on my computer as it is bloated and caused problems and I would rather have in in mp3 format.

I suppose there is always Pirate Bay.
Anonymous

True, and I like the fact that the AAC files no longer have DRM (I never bought a DRM-crippled AAC file. I’ve gotten a few since).

A big thing for me is that some devices I have don’t support AAC, so I’d have to convert.
Anonymous

I’ve got the Zune Pass
http://blog.macb.net macbeach

As someone who tends to develop brand loyalties (just before the company in question declares bankruptcy) I have no favorites in this game. My last download was from Amazon who’s price was about half of iTunes. If the format as downloaded is not MP3 I convert it post-haste to that format and burn to CD while I am at it.

I can’t imagine a single company owning this entire business, ever. As to the Beatles it sounds like the deal must be for about a year, a fair enough head start for Apple, and people will be downloading this stuff for the rest of our lives, not to mention all the rehashing possibilities… 3D smellovision anyone?
http://blog.macb.net macbeach

Is that one of those things you put in your car windshield to get through the tolls booths? Yeah, I got one of those too.
http://madsense.tumblr.com/ adSense

Wow, I was thinking the same thing as GadgetGav and didn’t think that The Beatles were selling that good still.
Anonymous

I wasn’t doubting that there are a lot of Beatles fans, and the fact that they’ve sold in such high numbers just makes me feel that there will be less demand for the albums as AAC downloads. Who wants them that doesn’t already have them. I’m sure they’re high on the iTunes store charts right now, but what’s the timeframe that the iTunes chart is compiled over..? Will there be a spike for a few days, weeks? Will the download figures ever match the figures from those physical sales?

When Does Amazon and Everyone Else Get the Beatles? Good Question.

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