23/12/2015

Beatles fans to get Christmas surprise

The Beatles To Stream On Christmas

And the holdout is finally over. Maybe. According to Billboard sources, The Beatles have agreed to stream their extensive and beloved catalog before the year comes to an end.

Reports have hinted that the drop will occur on Christmas Eve with a strong inclination that fans everywhere will be able to stream “Hey Jude” that day, but no source has been able to confirm the news nor determine what platform some of rock’s most cherished songs will drop on.

The Beatles have had a long history of holding out their music from music trends, denying the making of band documentaries and even refusing to remaster their albums.

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The Beatles music reportedly coming to one streaming service on Christmas Eve

When Apple Music launched back in June, it was noted that the music subscription service didn’t offer up the entire iTunes catalog with a few big name artists missing including The Beatles. That could be about to change, according to a new report out of Billboard, which cites sources that claim The Beatles music will be available for streaming for the first time next week. While the report believes The Beatles music will start streaming on Christmas Eve, what isn’t clear is which streaming service will have access first …

Billboard says word was in 2014 that Apple Records was considering a six-month exclusive with one streaming music service, but that obviously hasn’t happened yet. Then in January, Rob Wells, head of Universal Music Group’s digital business at the time and now exec at Crowdmix, continued talks to get The Beatles onto streaming with the report saying a deal was put together in mid-September. Apple Music’s initial free trial period for early adopters ended around the same time.

Apple entered the streaming music business itself for the first time in 2014 with its acquisition of Beats Music. Then in June it unveiled its predecessor, Apple Music, which launched at the end of that month. While it’s possible Spotify or some other streaming competitor could be set to exclusively carry The Beatles next week, it wouldn’t be unprecedented for Apple to bring The Beatles to a new medium.


Beatles rumoured to be streamed finally

The Beatles' music is reportedly set to finally be made available on online streaming services just in time for Christmas.

The iconic British rock group only entered the digital age in 2010, when label bosses at EMI, the company which owns the recordings, reached a deal with tech experts at Apple to have the Fab Four's songs appear on its downloading software iTunes.

Now sources tell Billboard.com the first Beatles tune to stream online will be Hey Jude, which is rumoured to be hitting music platforms like Spotify on Christmas Eve.

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The Beatles will finally arrive on streaming services this Christmas Eve

Beatles fans may be receiving an unexpected gift this Christmas Eve, as Billboard sources say that the Fab Four will finally arrive on streaming services next Thursday. Though the exact timing has not yet been confirmed, Billboard notes that there’s “a strong indication” that December 24th will go down as the dawn of Beatlemania on popular streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music.

The deal allegedly dates back to this past January, when former Universal Music Group digital executive Rob Wells reopened discussions that had previously stalled. The papers were reportedly signed in mid-September, clearing the way for a very White Album Christmas. It’s not yet known if the deal will apply to all streaming services or only a select few, though Billboard’s sources “strongly suggest” the former.

Due to different licensing agreements, The Beatles are already available on web radio services such as Pandora. But this reported deal marks the first time the massively popular band will be available for streaming on demand.


You may be able to listen to the Beatles on Spotify or Apple Music on Christmas Eve, Billboard says

The Beatles might be hitting Spotify, Apple Music, or another streaming music service, just in time for Christmas, reports Billboard.

Billboard's report is frustratingly vague. ut it says that "there's a strong indication" that the music of the Fab Four will be available on one or all of the major streaming services by Christmas Eve, or Thursday, December 24th.

That means it could come to Spotify, Apple Music, or smaller upstarts like Rhapsody, Tidal, or Deezer.


Beatles Reportedly Joining Streaming Services Next Week


The Beatles may be finally making the streaming plunge next week. Billboard reports that the iconic rock and roll group is set to bring its music to streaming services, with a “strong indication” that their music will arrive on Christmas Eve.

The Fab Four’s music has traditionally been one of the last holdouts in each successive jump in music listening technology. They didn’t hit iTunes until six years after Apple started selling digital music, for example. When they did finally make that jump, they sold over two million tracks in the first week. There have long been reports that the band’s music would hit streaming services, with initial reports in 2014 claiming that an exclusive deal was being worked out. That plan never reached the final stages but the site reports that a deal was signed in mid-September.

While the specific platforms are not known, it is strongly believed that most (if not all) services will have access to the band’s studio albums starting next week. Reps for Spotify and Rhapsody refused to comment, while Apple, Tidal, Deezer and Slacker didn’t immediately return requests for comment


The Beatles Set to Stream on Christmas Eve: Sources
The Beatles arrive at Kennedy Airport for the first time from London for a 10-day tour on February 7, 1964 in New York City, New York

The Beatles, the most beloved rock band in history -- and one of the most persistent holdouts in the digital age of music listening -- are set to finally arrive on streaming services, according to Billboard sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

While Billboard has received conflicting reports on the timing of the Fab Four's arrival to streaming platforms, there's a strong indication that fans will be able to hear "Hey Jude" on Thursday, Dec. 24. (Keep an eye out for whether Liverpool's most famous sons unseat Justin Bieber's streaming record.)

Chatter around a six month "exclusive" for a known streaming service reportedly began to trickle out of Apple Records in 2014, according to one source, but fizzled out. This past January, former Universal Music Group digital executive Rob Wells restarted discussions for the massive get, with papers reportedly having been signed in mid-September. It's unknown which specific services have secured the deal, though sources strongly suggest that most, if not all, will have access to the band's catalog of studio albums next week. (The Beatles are already available on Pandora because of how "non-demand" web radio is licensed.)


Merry Christmas From The Beatles: Fab Four Set To Finally Start Streaming Their Music?

The Beatles may give their fans (and streaming services) the greatest Christmas present of all this year: the ability to stream their music.

It looks like the Fab Four’s tunes will arrive on Christmas Eve, according to both Billboard and Hits Daily Double.  The only question is where?

While Apple AAPL -2.86% had allegedly tried to sew the Beatles up for an exclusive six-month streaming window, it looks like instead of going with one streaming source, the Beatles may go with many, including Apple Music,  Spotify and Tidal. Moreover, it’s rumored that all the studio albums will come online next week.


Beatles music heading to many streaming services for Christmas

The Beatles will fulfill a Christmas wish on many of their fans' lists and make their music more widely available on streaming services maybe as soon as Dec. 24, according to a published report on Dec. 18. Specific details of the move, which has been discussed over the past year, weren't listed by Billboard, which first reported the story. But representatives from both Spotify and Rhapsody streaming services issued no comment statements when contacted by the magazine, and Billboard also said it did not get replies for comments from streaming services Deezer, Tidal and Apple Music. There also was no comment from Universal Music Group, which covers the Beatles' Capitol Records label. The Beatles are already on one streaming service, Pandora, Billboard noted.

The group has been notoriously conservative in responding to fan requests and accepting new technology. It took the Beatles a long time to put their music on iTunes. It finally happened in November, 2010 -- more than seven years after the iTunes music store debuted -- when the group's 13 remastered studio albums, the two-volume "Past Masters" compilation and the "Red" and "Blue" collections, plus a digital box set of their albums that also featured the Washington Coliseum concert film debuted on iTunes for legal digital downloads.

And this year, after many years of fan requests, the Beatles finally released “1” and “1+” collections with a total of 50 of their remastered videos. The “1+” release also came with a remastered and remixed “1” CD. The group, however, still hasn't officially released its 1970 film “Let It Be” on DVD (through rumors about its release continue to float) or put out its “Live at the Hollywood Bowl” album on CD. Bootleggers, however, have been made both of these products available, if not legally.


The Beatles might be available to stream on Christmas Eve
The Beatles, left to right, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon (1940 - 1980) arrive at London Airport February 6, 1964, after a trip to Paris. Getty Images

The Beatles are coming to town on Christmas Eve, via streaming services, at least.

Billboard reports that one of rock music's most important bands ever will finally hit streaming platforms, and though it's unclear which ones will host Beatles' music, it seems the most of them will have access to the band's tracks. The Beatles are already on Pandora, but not on any on-demand services.

The announcement has been shrouded in mystery. Services like Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Apple and Rhapsody have not commented on whether or not they will have the music.


The Beatles fans to get Christmas streaming surprise
The Beatles on stage at the London Palladium during a performance in front of 2, 000 screaming fans. (Photo by Michael Webb/Getty Images)

THE BEATLES’ music is reportedly set to finally be made available on online streaming services just in time for Christmas.

The iconic British rock group only entered the digital age in 2010, when label bosses at EMI, the company which owns the recordings, reached a deal with tech experts at Apple to have the Fab Four’s songs appear on its downloading software iTunes.

Now sources tell Billboard.com the first Beatles tune to stream online will be “Hey Jude,” which is rumored to be hitting music platforms like Spotify on Christmas Eve. Their back catalogue of studio albums is expected to follow soon afterwards.


The Beatles may finally be coming to music streaming services
Here comes the stream, little darling, here comes the stream ... maybe

There is a "strong indication" that the Beatles — who have held out from music streaming altogether — will come to a major service on Christmas Eve. That's according to a Friday report in Billboard, which cites sources with knowledge of the negotiations that it did not identify.

The music magazine says it has received conflicting reports on exactly when Beatles music will be available for streaming, but that its sources "strongly suggest" most of the band's records will appear next week.

The Beatles have been sluggish to adapt their catalog to digital, first coming to iTunes in 2011 and staying off streaming entirely.


The Beatles’ music will soon be available to stream

To the excitement of Beatles fanatics worldwide, the famed British rock group is rumoured to finally begin releasing their music on streaming services.

Billboard reported that there is conflicting information on the exact date in which Beatles originals will grace the playlists of music streamers, but discussions are strongly hinting at a Dec 24 arrival date.

It’s also unclear which streaming sites will secure deals to stream the Fab Four’s iconic tracks. Earlier reports linked Universal Music Group’s Apple Records label to some sort of exclusive streaming deal, but Billboard’s sources suggest that it’s likely “most, if not all” streaming sites will have access to Beatles’ comprehensive portfolio on the reported Dec 24 release date.