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Daily Update for October 25, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple files for old Apple Corps trademark
Apple Inc. (formerly known as Apple Computer) must be feeling pretty sure of itself after finally hammering out the Beatles deal for iTunes with Apple Corps. and its associated partners. The company that makes iPhones is now trying to re-secure the Apple logo trademark that Apple Corps. used for so long. The logo was originally lost to Apple Inc. in 2007 after a settlement gave much of Apple Corps.' trademarks to the computer company, but now Apple Inc. is actually filing for the legendary trademark, per Patently Apple, in order to nail down ownership once and for all. As I read it, Apple is simply trying to ensure that the Granny Smith logo stays where it legally belongs now: in Cupertino. Apple already had a hold on the trademarks, thanks to that 2007 settlement (which itself paved the way for the Beatles' iTunes release), but this filing was most likely pushed by the legal team and seeks to hammer out a total and complete hold on everything Apple Inc. can use Apple Corps.' trademarks for in the future. [via CrunchGear]
Beatles sell 2 million tracks via iTunes already
Has it really been only a week since the day we would never forget? In that short amount of time, Apple has sold 2 million Beatles tracks and generated 45,000 album downloads via iTunes, Billboard magazine said today. Not bad for a band that was pretty late to the digital music game -- and one that a good bit of commenters decried wouldn't do much for sales at all. The top-selling album was 1969's Abbey Road. The top-selling track is "Here Comes the Sun" from the same album. [Via MacStories]
The ballad of the Beatles and iTunes (and EMI, too)
After decades of bickering that's nearly as infamous as the Beatles' breakup, the actual deal that finally united Apple, Inc., Apple Corps and EMI was hammered out in July, the Wall Street Journal reported today. We touched lightly on this history yesterday, but the WSJ outlined the exact route that EMI and Apple Corps navigated since this summer to reach an agreement, which was then brought to Apple. In Cupertino, Apple began quietly reserving ad space in major publications with only the reassurance that they would deliver the ads to make press time. Meanwhile, Billboard magazine -- as reported via MacRumors -- revealed that much of the issue post-lawsuit wasn't between Apple Corps and Apple, Inc,, but rather Apple Corps and EMI. Apple and Google vied to be the first to host the Beatles, with rumors of Apple paying a "substantial advance" to EMI floating around. Regardless, Apple won the race and the Beatles now dominate the iTunes charts ... though none of the albums have yet to surpass the latest Glee album on the charts. The Beatles remain exclusive to Apple until at least January of 2011, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the digital tracks on Amazon shortly after it runs out.
The Beatles show up in iTunes
We're still holding out hope for a cloud-based subscription service to make that full-page teaser on Apple.com seem worthwhile, but it looks like today's unforgettable iTunes announcement will indeed just be the arrival of the Beatles to the store -- the Fab Four's page just went live, about 20 minutes before the official announcement. It looks like the entire catalog is available in a $149 box set complete with iTunes LP content, and there's also a few videos for your enjoyment. We're sure some of you are super-stoked about being able to buy this stuff in yet another format -- and we're glad Steve and Yoko worked it out -- but unless something else happens today we're feeling like we just witnessed a lot of empty hype. Update: Yep, it's official -- the Beatles are on iTunes. No streaming announcement, no subscription service. Apple's given its entire front page over to a full-size shot of the boys, and as a bonus the "Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964" video will stream for free for the rest of the year. Ringo, can you sum this up for us? "I am particularly glad to no longer be asked when the Beatles are coming to iTunes," said Ringo Starr. You were always our favorite, Rings. PR after the break, along with a screencap of Apple.com for posterity.
GDC: The UI of The Beatles Rock Band
Most UI panels at the Game Developers' Conference tend to be full of dry technical information, all about how the team developed their own font kerning tool and organized menu elements in a data-driven fashion. The Harmonix UI panel this morning hosted by Senior Artist Kevin McGinnis did have that stuff (McGinnis is a self-diagnosed font geek, and did sound overly excited about formatting bitmaps), but it was also full of art -- beautiful The Beatles: Rock Band inspired art. McGinnis talked about the different concepts the team had tried -- they first attempted to do a very clean, serene respectful version of the menus, but then decided to go much more colorful. They hired a few artists to build the menus up into actual 3D spaces (after accidentally telling Apple Corps that yes, the menus would all be animated), and McGinnis even showed off the 3D model that the camera zooms around in to guide the player into the game. You can see all of the art in the gallery below, from the various pieces of flair to the menu designs and concept work. %Gallery-88131%
The Beatles catalog being released on limited edition USB stick
You know what's kind of like online digital distribution, and yet not at all like that? Selling the entire re-mastered Beatles catalog on a USB drive that slots into a fake apple. The fine folks at Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music have teamed up to build a limited edition run of 30,000 USB apples to be sold on December 7 in the UK and December 8 in freedom-loving America. Included on the 16GB drive are the 14 stereo titles in FLAC 44.1 Khz 24-bit, in addition to 320 Kbps MP3s and a whole digital stack of special materials like liner notes and mini-documentary films, all for the low, low price of $279.99. The drive is up for pre-order as of now, which means you could be a mere month away from plugging this drive into your computer, dragging the files into your iTunes library and then pretending that you bought them online in some sort of forward-looking content distribution model.
Rumors: The Beatles on iTunes? Yoko says yes, EMI says not yet
So, the friend of a friend told me that the Beatles is finally going to be on iTunes tomorrow. Not so fast, EMI immediately countered. In the latest chapter of a saga filled with more "will they, or won't they?" than a shoujo manga, Engadget picked up a 9to5Mac report today stating that Yoko Ono is talking about an iTunes arrival for the Beatles on an already Fab Four-packed 9/9/09. We've already speculated about it once, but Yoko's words caused the Twitter feeds to immediately jump alive with fevered speculation that maybe, just maybe, tomorrow's finally the day. I'm with Steve Sande. Seeing Paul, Ringo, Julian Lennon and Dhani Harrison (who helped mastermind The Beatles: Rock Band -- my reservation was made for the game six months ago) on stage together to announce the Beatles on iTunes would be fantastic. However, I'd rather see the release be done right than thrown together at the last minute. The optimistic side of me is sure that it won't be long before the Beatles and iTunes will be goin' steady for good.
Will the Beatles library finally arrive in iTunes September 9th?
As intrepid TUAW reporter Mike Schramm told you a few days ago, Apple has an event planned for September 9, 2009. Pundits are expecting the event to be the usual Apple fall event where the new line of iPods will be announced, but there's something else happening on September 9th that could herald the long-awaited arrival of The Beatles in the iTunes Store. The Official Beatles Shop website is showing 9/9/09 as the release date for new, digitally remastered versions of the entire Beatles library. That's also the day that The Beatles: Rock Band is released. What better way for Apple to finally bring Apple Corps into the digital age than to give the Fab Four a home in iTunes? Of course, the Beatles and Apple, Inc. have had a tumultuous legal history, and recently George Harrison's son Dhani Harrison was quoted in Blender as saying he didn't feel that the iTunes Store's per-song charge was a fair price for Beatles songs. He also mentioned that the remaining members of The Beatles were looking into creating their own website for digital downloads. Given the shaky history of most Beatles business ventures, I wouldn't give that comment a second thought. Just last month, Sir Paul McCartney told the Guardian that in terms of the Beatles library appearing in iTunes, "The last word I got back was it's stalled at the whole moment, the whole process... I really hope it will happen because I think it should." Frankly, I think the music world and Apple both need a little magic right now, so I'm hoping to see Steve Jobs, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Dhani Harrison, and Julian Lennon on stage together on September 9th. That would be even better than an announcement of a Mac tablet.
MTV's Beatles game to feature 'early days' and 'psychedelic' periods
In a brief interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sir Paul McCartney shed some light on the this year's upcoming Beatles music game. McCartney confirmed that the 45 Beatles tracks will come from "different periods of the band" and that gamers will be treated to "early days, Liverpool, then psychedelic, and on from there." Of course, we all know who the final boss is going to be.Ever since Harmonix announced plans to release a standalone Beatles music game, we've been kept in the dark regarding the game's details. So, even though we're still mostly fumbling around within its dimly lit development, Mr. McCartney has come to the rescue with a shimmer of informative light. Even if it's just a BIC lighter.[Via IGN]
McCartney on iTunes: "We want it to happen"
The cutest Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, did an interview with Entertainment Weekly recently for his new album, and the long-running subject of the Beatles on iTunes came up right at the last question. At this point, this is probably our favorite Apple failure -- they've reinvented the way we listen to music, they've made smartphones mainstream, they've constantly re-created and revolutionized the personal computer, and yet they've never been able to get the best band in history on their iTunes service.Not for lack of trying, says Sir Paul. He says that he's down with it, and that both sides are still trying to come to an agreement, but that "we" (presuming that means the band themselves) definitely "want it to happen." But he also says that "the record company" (presumably Apple Records, who have had their troubles with Apple Computers in the past) "was taken over by new people quite recently, so there is a gridlock of sorts." So we continue to wait for The Beatles to show up on iTunes.Meanwhile, they are apparently going ahead with the Rock Band version featuring The Beatles -- McCartney says that Harmonix is still planning to put the music in the console videogame/band simulator, and that they're going to feature The Beatles in different eras: "early days, Liverpool, then psychedelic, and on from there. It's very cool." Sounds like it -- even if we can't play the White Album from AppleTV, at least we'll be able to do it from the Xbox.
Beatles-on-iTunes talks 'stalled' says Paul
Talks between Apple, Inc., Apple Corps, and EMI to bring the Beatles catalogue to the iTunes Store have "stalled," according to a statement by Paul McCartney to the Associated Press. McCartney said, "The last word I got back was it's stalled at the whole moment, the whole process." He told the BBC that "heavy negotiations" were in progress with EMI, who said they were "working hard to secure agreement with Apple Corps." My ill-informed, Captain Obvious guess? Someone's holding out for more money. The AP oddly suggested that the holdup is related to a trademark dispute between Apple Corps and Apple, Inc. which was settled in court last year. McCartney continued, "I really hope it will happen because I think it should." [Via Cult of Mac.]
Paul McCartney: Beatles on iTunes stalled, I'm not dead
In a new twist to the wearisome saga of the Beatles digitizing their music catalog for iTunes (or any digital service, for that matter), Paul McCartney says that the negotiations have "stalled." McCartney said, "It's between EMI and the Beatles, I think," before adding, "I really hope it will happen because I think it should." While an EMI spokeswoman sounded hopeful about the matter getting resolved, we'll just assume this is all Yoko's fault in keeping with tradition.
MTV won Beatles rights with 'flexibility,' songs won't be Rock Band-compatible
With such a dearth of information surrounding MTV's Beatles music game, we're trying to keep track of all the little details that have unfurled since last Thursday's revelation. According to sources close to Reuters, MTV Networks won the rights because it showed "more flexibility" than Guitar Hero World Tour publisher Activision Blizzard, whose CEO Bobby Kotick has repeatedly asserted that music publishers should be paying his company for inclusion in game.That flexibility, we suspect, has to do with Rock Band branding, or the lack thereof. Although we've known that the Beatles game would share headlines with MTV/Harmonix's successful music series, Reuters notes rather matter-of-factly that "none of the Fab Four's songs will be available for download on the existing Rock Band franchise." (The recently-released AC-DC Track Pack allows you to transfer songs to your hard drive to play in Rock Band.) Given there's still quite a bit of time until the game's planned "holiday 2009" release, we'll hold out hope that Apple Corps changes its tune.
Variety: 45 songs from catalog for Beatles game
In addition to yesterday's volley of news about The Beatles' rhythm game, Variety has a few new details. According to the publication, who spoke with Apple Corps CEO Jeff Jones, Harmonix can select 45 songs from The Beatles' 1962 to 1969 EMI catalog. Apologies to all who were dying for a cameo from The Quarrymen. Ladies and gentlemen, you now have a number. It's time to start making those "confirmed track lists" you all are so fond of sending us.Giles Martin, who served as music director to Cirque du Soleil's Beatles Love alongside father and Beatles producer George Martin, will oversee the game's music. Still no word on whether the original recordings will be remastered or not. Additionally, Sony/ATV Music Publishing CEO Martin Brandier told Variety that the deal was -- shocker -- unprecedentedly expensive. "We signed a deal that would be considered very rich by the videogame company but fair for the artists," he said. "It will have online implications that will be enormous."
MTV and Apple Corps announce Beatles game
Not that it's much of a surprise anymore, but Apple Corps (not this one) and MTV have announced Rock Band: The Beatles an untitled Beatles music project, to be developed by Harmonix. While not a Rock Band expansion, this is a pretty major coup over Activision, owners of the Guitar Hero franchise. We're in the conference call now. More details to follow.Notes from the conference call: "This will not be a Rock Band title, this will be a custom title" Journey through The Beatles first album through their last -- "samples" from their whole catalog "A number of new dimensions" that you haven't seen from Harmonix before Just in time for the holidays ... in 2009 Tracks are based on UK releases -- the idea is to play the songs through The Beatles career (not remixed or remastered tracks, we think) Is the imagery tied to the existing art from the songs and albums? The developers aren't prepared to talk about specifics, but "visual imagery" is a big part of the project Interoperability is not something that's being talked about yet "Very little" can be said about the game itself today. "MTV and Harmonix was clearly the innovator in this category of games" -- Apple Corps was really impressed with Harmonix's creative and musical approach "It's not a Rock Band game, it's a Beatles game. They deserve a fully dedicated title. [The game] takes advantage of the Rock Band platform in many ways ... [and it's] going to be compatible with existing Rock Band peripherals" -- we can assume that instruments from other music games (e.g., Guitar Hero) will also be supported No hardware platforms announced No comment on licensing Beatles tunes for other games -- this is an exclusive arrangement for Beatles music in video games (as for digital distribution of The Beatles catalog on music services (e.g., iTunes): Apple Corps is still working out details; no announcement to make nor date nor anything else!)
FT.com also confirms Beatles in Rock Band
FT.com revisits a story it's been following all along: the inclusion of The Beatles library in one of the two reigning rhythm game kings. The winner, of course, is MTV's Rock Band. Though already confirmed last night by the Wall Street Journal, the official announcement isn't until 10am Joystiq Time, so we're offering you this as a second verification.Beyond the basics – The Beatles haven't licensed their music digitally anywhere else; Activision made its own pitch for the content and while the FT piece doesn't offer much new, it does reflect the scale of these music licensing negotiations. That MTV acquisition sure makes a lot more sense now, eh? We'll bring you more around 10am.
The Beatles in Rock Band; MTV & Apple Corps tease 'unprecedented project' [update]
Apple Corps Ltd., the company founded by The Beatles to administer the band's music catalog, and MTV today teased "an exclusive agreement to develop a global music project." The two camps are scheduled to make an official announcement tomorrow, Thursday, October 30th at 10 am ET (2 pm in the UK). No further details have been presented, save for tomorrow's, uh, presenters: Apple Corps CEO Jeff Jones, MTV CEO Judy McGrath and President of MTV Networks Van Toffler. Our highly tuned power of intuition tells us MTV has landed a deal to get The Beatles in Rock Band, either as a standalone product (à la the AC/DC Track Pack) or as DLC -- heck, why not both? In June, FT.com reported that MTV and Activision were both dangling bags of money before Apple Corps for The Beatles rights. Guess who had the bigger bag?Update: The Wall Street Journal's sources say it's true: "The Beatles have licensed songs to MTV Networks' Rock Band video game series." Details mañana.[Thanks, oolz]
Beatles' catalog coming online at long last?
Word on the street (and by street, we mean mostly British tabloids) is that Paul McCartney's deal to sell the Beatles back-catalog is done, and the Greatest Works of Musical Art Ever Recorded will be appearing on the iTunes store "within months." Of course, we've been hearing whispers about this for what seems like a million years, and since both Apple Corps and Apple are delivering "no comment" and "rumor and speculation" responses on the topic, we won't get too excited. Still, there does seem to be some serious movement on this front, with everyone and their mother saying the lot is to be sold any day now for around $400 million -- which is no small sum. We will, of course, keep you abreast of any developments which will lead to you stocking your music players with the Fab Four's work.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Steve Jobs presenting in London at EMI event, Beatles rumors flow again
Looks like El Jobso is coming out of his busy, busy office in Cupertino to, of all things, present "exciting new digital offering" at an EMI media event in London. Now, EMI is, as many know, where much of The Beatles catalogue resides, and none of that music has ever been made available online; we've long heard rumors of Apple getting the digital exclusive -- especially since Apple Corps and Apple, Inc. have settled their differences -- so to you, dear reader, we submit this: wouldn't any kind of real Beatles fan already have all the cuts on vinyl or CD -- or at least have downloaded or copied all they need? And hell, anyone who doesn't already have this stuff can always go pick it up relatively cheaply at any local record store and rip it -- at least then you won't have to deal with the DRM. In other words: we're still not sure why we should care about the world's most ubiquitous rock band selling music on the world's most ubiquitous digital download service in an all out DRM-love-in.[Thanks, Josh]
