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What's the deal with Apple's mysterious iTunes announcement, scheduled for 10am EST today? Could it be -- finally -- the oft-rumored release of The Beatles' back catalog? Has Apple Inc. finally made peace with Apple Corps? In IT Blogwatch, bloggers read the runes and dissect the chickens.
Antony Bruno says "the smart money" is on the Fab Four:
After a day of phone calls, e-mails and cryptic messages ... [we're] saying this is what we're going to hear tomorrow. ... The sources in the past that quashed any [such] rumors ... are today very quiet, and strangely so. ... Place your bets on a Beatles announcement tomorrow. Now comes the speculation.
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We're expecting some kind of device integration, perhaps a Beatles-branded iPod or iPhone. ... We think all the Beatles movies available to buy or rent. ... Some amazing iTunes LP or iPad-related special treatment ... for a more immersive experience ... including lyrics and video.
Again with the moptop rumors, MG Siegler? Yes, again:
The Beatles/iTunes rumors are seemingly as old as time itself. ... Every year we have disappointment. This could well be the same story. ... Im not believing anything until I see Paul and Ringo ... in my browser (or iTunes) tomorrow being streamed live.
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A little birdie with close ties to the music industry says that theyve heard The Beatles on iTunes is set to launch in times for the holidays. ... Its also interesting that November 16 is the anniversary of the first time The Beatles were shown on TV in the U.S.
John Gruber is also betting on the lovable Liverpudlians:
Its really the only explanation ... that would be a big enough deal to warrant this promotional hype but ... not warrant a media event. ... Major new Apple products are unveiled at events. A major new content deal ... Apple might announce without an event.
But Eric Slivka favors the iTunes Live Stream rumor:
Apple might be looking to launch some kind of "iTunes Live Stream" service. ... Consomac reports ... a property list file included with iTunes 10.1 contains references to an "iTunes Live Stream URL". ... This reference is new in iTunes 10.1. ... Details on what exactly the service might be, however, remain sketchy.
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Apple has been testing some aspects of live video streaming in recent months... to deliver live video of its September and October media events. ... The company would seem to have ample backend capacity for such technology to be deployed on a broader scale.
Peter Kafka pours cold water on that idea:
The music industry sources Ive talked to so far today dont know of any new deals ... [with] the big music labels. So that would rule out a new subscription service, which would definitely require a new rights deal.
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You can make a common-sense argument that simply storing someones data, then letting them access it again, shouldnt require a deal. But the labels argue that it does. ... Its hard to see Apple announcing a service without signed paperwork.
Which will bring us back to d'oh! Mike Davidson snarks it up:
I feel like the Beatles coming to iTunes is a much bigger deal to Steve Jobs than it is to anyone else..
Richi Jenningsis an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, you can follow him as @richi on Twitter, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itbw@richij.com.
