While some Beatlemaniacs will be eagerly anticipating the newly revised 1+ compilation under the tree, with remixed audio and hours of rare video performances, The Fab Four have one more present to give the world: starting December 24, the band's bestselling catalogue will be available for streaming across nine major services.
The Beatles' entry into the digital landscape is, like so many events befitting the most popular rock band of all time, often an event unto itself. In 2010, a year after the first-ever remastered versions of the band's original studio albums, Apple Corps and Apple, Inc. partnered to allow the band's catalogue to be sold for download exclusively through iTunes.
In the years since, the digital music landscape has changed, with Spotify offering one of the first streaming services worldwide (launching in the U.S. in 2011). Other providers great and small have since followed suit, most recently and infamously the launch of Apple Music this past summer. And with each new service would come the question: will The Beatles ever stream?
At 12:01 a.m. on Christmas Eve 2015 (whenever that is for you!) the answer will be a resounding "yes"! Apple Music, Deezer, Google Play, Microsoft Groove, Amazon Prime, Rhapsody, Spotify, Slacker and Tidal will feature the band's core catalogue to stream on their platforms.
And what makes up the "core catalogue"? From the video on the band's official site, it's:
Please Please Me (Parlophone, 1963)
With The Beatles (Parlophone, 1963)
A Hard Day's Night (Parlophone, 1964)
Beatles for Sale (Parlophone, 1964)
Help! (Parlophone, 1965)
Rubber Soul (Parlophone, 1965)
Revolver (Parlophone, 1966)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Parlophone, 1967)
Magical Mystery Tour (Capitol (U.S.), 1967)
The Beatles (The White Album) (Apple, 1968)
Yellow Submarine (Apple, 1969)
Abbey Road (Apple, 1969)
Let It Be (Apple, 1970)
The Beatles 1962-1966 (Apple, 1973)
The Beatles 1967-1970 (Apple, 1973)
Past Masters, Vols. 1 & 2 (Parlophone/Apple, 1988)
1 (Parlophone/Apple, 2000)
So that's all the "standard" stereo albums (all U.K. track listings except for the extended U.S. Magical Mystery Tour sequence), the classic "red" and "blue" albums, the non-LP singles Past Masters collection and the best-selling 1, featuring all 27 of their chart-topping singles. Surely more can be rolled out at the right time (Love, Let It Be...Naked, Anthology, Live At The BBC) but for now this is the core experience.
Time will tell if the band's presence boosts the numbers of streaming services, whether free or premium subscribers. But a major catalogue, previously missing in action on the digital music scene, has made its landing--and for now, we're content to let it be, and listen to these songs all over again.
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Of course, I already have everything on CD and in my Amazon Music cloud library, but as an Apple Music subscriber, I'm pleased with the news. I'm sure I speak for many others in hoping for a bonus surprise Christmas gift of the collection of 7 fan club-only Christmas messages (1963-69). Would be great to hear them without the surface noise from the vinyl at long last.
Well since I have most of their catalog on vinyl and CD, and given that I'm 52 years old, I frankly feel like an alien. Why is this big news? Are there people who don't know how to get the records? The SURFACE NOISE of vinyl? My mono vinyl box has little surface noise, and if one is talking about tape hiss heard at the end/fadeout of songs, that usually indicates the engineer is faithfully trying to reproduce the mastertapes (not used on the 2009 stereo reissues)...I hear people regularly complain about the hassle of having to take a record/CD out of a package (groan!!!) and put it on/in a playback system. Or, the high cost of CDs (cheaper than they were 20 years ago) and vinyl ($15 - 30), which are the only product(s) that have truly not kept pace w/inflation. Heck the house I grew up in cost my working class, not-college-educated, parents $14,000. And it sold for $600,000.
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Are most people really that lazy these days?!? I don't think 'it's a hassle' doing that; it's part of the experience. I still like listening to music on LP's and CD's, and don't really care for downloads all that much.
Bill I hope my ironic tone was as obvious as intended. Buying "Hey Jude" & "Abbey Road", released with weeks of the Stones "Through The Past Darkly" and "Let it Bleed" , this 10 year old sensed the difference in band "personality" before hearing the first notes of tracks 1. The covers resonated, had mystery, something worth pondering along w/ the music...$15 for something that may provide a lifetime of pleasure, solace, etc simply does not seem excessive.
John, I thought it was kind of funny too, but there's still more than a bit of truth in your observations.
Well, it was inevitable but I still have to say I am sorry to see this happen.
Why would people be negative about this development?
I have enjoyed Beatles albums on LP, cassette, original CD and reissue - as well as appreciating unofficial releases. Streaming release just allows you to enjoy them differently - making playlists, different compilations and more. And with some streaming - such as Tidal - there is no compression and loss of sound.
All of this is good if is part of encouraging greater choice and different music formats.
It's also encouraging for two reasons:
1. Today's teens trend to streaming more, so this keeps the music accessible to new listeners.
2. Apple Music lets you download the songs for your own use… so long as you have the streaming subscription, so this may be another attraction to keep this revenue stream open for musicians (and thus keep the industry going with less worry about "stolen" music).