Beatles Downloads To (Finally) Arrive Sometime in ‘08

For several years now the digital-music-downloading world has been able to enjoy albums new and old purchased and transmitted via the Web. Millions of songs sit on Web servers, ready for purchase by consumers, and purchase they do. Over three billion songs have already been sold on Apple?s iTunes service alone. With all others such online outlets combined, the total number of downloads is no doubt many, many more.

But there is one particular catalogue of music albums that has somehow managed to evade complete (and legal) digitization throughout the entire few years of the download revolution. Yes, amid the U2s, the Led Zeppelins, and many other fabled acts of the sonic sphere who?ve accepted a new life of practical intangibility on hard disks and flash drives, one quartet has specifically (and stubbornly) chosen to keep their timeless Britpop away from the audio storefronts of the Internet: The Beatles.

Yes, the work of John, Paul, Ringo and George - Yellow Submarine and all ? have so far been able to remain free of any relations with iTunes and other Net-based retail venues, to the frustration of a great number of adoring fans. Until now. Well…not now. But soon. Relatively speaking.

That?s right. According to an interview with the music sales charts publisher, Billboard, one Beatle ? a man by the name of McCartney ? let it be known that the proprietors of the musical group?s discography would grant official access to the tracks to online shops for distribution over the Internet sometime in 2008.

Remember that. 2008. If they renege, give ?em hell.

Of course, with predictable and somewhat fitting imprecision, no month or season was stipulated by Sir Paul to be the window in which the world can expect to finally see the Beatles albums situated among the countless others already published to the Web. Still, this news comes as the most solid announcement yet mentioned of an eventual release.

The catalogue couldn?t come soon enough. For a good number of years Beatles fans have grumbled over the lack of legitimate and legal methods to purchase the group?s records less any tangible media. And when EMI, the company responsible for the collection, announced early this year its move to a DRM-free existence on the Web, many people in the public arena thought such a moment would be fitting for EMI celebrate with the delivery of the collection. Alas, such a momentous release did not occur, and consumers were none too happy as a result.

Come 2008, however, the world will ultimately be afforded the option to download both Sergeant Peppers and his Lonely Hearts Club Band, without having to deal with any environmentally-incompatible plastics whatsoever.

And a good day ? whatever day it is ? that will be. Unless Paul and Ringo, the last members of the group still walking and talking (may John and George not rest in peace, but rather continue to sing and strum them steelstrings throughout the heavens), happen to stupidly affix DRM to their downloadable recordings. If that?s to somehow be the case, woe be unto the lot of them.