Beatles Downloads Offered on New Site Zaptunes

Posted on Aug 31st 2010 8:00AM by Chris Mugan
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A San Francisco-based music web site has launched offering unlimited DRM-free MP3 downloads for $25 (£16) a month -- amongst them the Beatles back catalogue.

Since the Fab Four's remaining members and other Apple Corps shareholders have yet to reach deals with more established online distributors, say iTunes and Amazon, this throws the legitimacy of Zaptunes into question.

While a spokesman for the firm states it has negotiated with the "top label companies," Digital Music News reports that the site may be hearing from record company lawyers soon. "EMI Group is already drafting the legal paperwork against this shenanigan," a source told the site.

Meanwhile, Zaptunes claims to have reached a deal with a different multinational. On Hypebot, a spokesman said, "We have a contract with Sony Music, who hold the rights to most of the Beatles music. I am sorry, but right now I can not give you more details about this contract."

Yet earlier this month, Yoko Ono warned that a Beatles download deal was a long way off, as reported by Spinner -- and as John Lennon's widow she has a strong say in developments. Certainly no one then had heard of Zaptunes. Currently, the Web site offers free downloads for 30 days in return for your credit cards. Buyer beware, we say.