The Beatles’ availability through online music retail may be lurching, slowly ever closer – but don’t bet on it. EMI Music and the band’s Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) Corps company say the back catalogue has been “digitally remastered” for release on compact disc on September 9 (9-9-09), the same day the Beatles: Rock Band video game drops.
It would be easy to speculate, as many sites are today, that this points the way to The Beatles’ arrival, finally, on online stores and maybe even ad-supported sites. But there’s still no mention of digital sell-through beyond the statement: “Discussions regarding the digital distribution of the catalogue will continue.” With this saga having rolled on for more than two years now, we wouldn’t hold our breath that this should be taken as significant. Price still seems to be an issue – McCartney in November: “They (EMI) want something we