Since late February, rumblings have perpetuated across the tech blogosphere to suggest that Apple will soon introduce a significant revamp of iTunes.
Late last week, new reports emerged which indicate that Apple’s foray into high-definition music is now imminent.
According to industry sources, 24-bit tracks could be unveiled within two months, likely before Apple’s WWDC set for early June.
“That’s right – Apple will launch hi-res iTunes in two months,” says music and tech industry blogger Robert Hutton. “And at that point, you can say goodbye to HD Tracks, Acoustic Sounds Hi-Res store, and ProStudioMasters, and probably all the other hi-res audio online stores. Apple will kill them, straight out of the box.”
It is believed that songs in this high-performance category will come at a premium price.
“I’m not sure I feel good about Apple entering hi-res – I hate monopolies, and I sure am not an Apple fan overall,” Hutton concludes. “The reason labels will instantly migrate to Apple, despite business practices that are…well…not exactly consumer friendly, is that it is virtually certain there will be watermarking involved. That SHOULD be a deal breaker – for music fans at least – but the reality is, labels will hungrily embrace it.”
