Apple reportedly has hired a former Warner Music Group executive with intimate knowledge of negotiations between the music publisher and retailers, which presumably included the Cupertino, Calif. digital music giant. Elliot Peters, Warner’s senior vice president and head of its digital legal department next month will become the head of corporate legal affairs for iTunes based in Luxembourg.
In a memo, Warner told employees Elliot “had a hand in almost every major WMG digital deal.” Among the parties with which Elliot has negotiated: Columbia House Music and Video Clubs, Word Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Publications. Apple is the largest U.S. music retailer and digital music sales are expected to overshadow CD sales in 2011.
Elliot is expected to help Apple’s push toward a streaming version of iTunes. The service would allow customers to play tunes from their music collection from any online device. That push seems centered in North Carolina, where Apple has built a $1 billion data center capable of streaming audio and video. One expert recently said the Cupertino, Calif. company could leverage the center to become a ’21st Century broadcaster.’
