EMI yesterday reportedly denied rumours that a digital release of the Beatles back catalogue was imminent.
Of course, news on the official digital release of The Beatles' music, one of the few catalogues yet to be available through legitimate digital channels, has been expected for some time after comments from the band's own company Apple Corp to the effect that work was underway to digitise the Fab Four's songs. However, EMI and Apple Corp have both so far refused to speculate on the actual timetable for the digital release of the band's catalogue.
Rumours have been circulating that the release is upcoming since London based download platform Wippit added a headline to their press release page reading 'The Beatles available for download on Wippit'. That press announcement is dated 14 Mar and currently links to a blank page, but some are speculating that as of tomorrow it will offer firm news of when The Beatles will arrive for download.
But the BBC report that EMI, who will work with Apple Corps on any digital release of The Beatles' music, have said that there is no announcement to be made, adding that they have asked Wippit to remove the headline from their press release page - though as of this morning the headline remains.
As previously reported, many now expect The Beatles catalogue to arrive online initially via iTunes since Apple Corps settled its long running trademark dispute with Apple Inc last month. At the time of the settlement Apple Corps boss Neil Aspinall told reporters that the Beatles looked forward to "many years of peaceful co-operation" with the computer firm. Apple boss Steve Jobs had already added to the rumours by calling up a selection from 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' when demonstrating the new iPhone at the MacWorld conference in January.
Of course it is possible Wippit have somehow found some Beatles tracks outwith the official catalogue - iTunes, for example, already sells some very early Beatles collaborations with Tony Sheridan which are controlled by Universal Music. And come to think of it, if anyone has any very early (probably home made) recordings from Lennon/McCartney/Harrison's first band The Quarrymen (which I believe may exist) then those would be coming out of copyright in the next couple of years. Wippit is yet to comment on the headline - it remains to be seen if there is a formal announcement tomorrow and, if so, what it is.