Talks ‘Stalled’ Between Apple and Beatles

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(photo: drinksmachine/flickr)

For Beatles fans looking to download the iconic British rockers from Apple’s iTunes, it appears its going to be another ‘Hard Days Night.’ Paul McCartney now says negotiations are at a stand-still.

“The last word I got back was it’s stalled at the whole moment, the whole process,” the musician told the Associated Press.

The sticking point, according to McCartney is EMI, which owns the Beatles song catalog, and Apple Corps, a holding company run by surviving members of the UK band.


In May, 2007, McCartney told Billboard Magazine a deal to bring the Beatles to iTunes was “virtually settled.” The same year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said he expected a deal to be signed by mid-2008.

Ironically, while signing the Beatles continues to slip from Jobs – a child of the ’60s – the British rockers may make their first digital appearance for an audience unfamiliar with the music.

The Beatles in October signed to include their music in the Rock Band videogames, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Viacom-owned videogame is a rival to Activision’s Guitar Hero.

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6 responses to “Talks ‘Stalled’ Between Apple and Beatles”

  1. phoenix says:

    I’m certain to be mauled by Beatles fans for even suggesting this, but…why is it so important to get the Beatles up on iTunes anyway? Isn’t everything they’ve ever done available in a million different packages, box sets, collections, and formats anyway?

  2. Dean says:

    I’m with username PHOENIX… while it might be nice to have the Fab Four on iTunes, why not just buy a CD and import it? That’s probably what I’ll do when I make The Switch next year

  3. Scott says:

    I agree with the above – it’s not as if the Beatles’ music isn’t just as easily and commonly accessed elsewhere.

    However, I personally think it’s more for completion sake than anything else – I mean, a music store which doesn’t carry the Beatles is kind of like a fruit-and-veg store which doesn’t sell apples – it’s a pretty big omission, whether it’s online or offline.