Preloaded iPods inbound?

Following the resolution of the dispute between Apple Inc. and record label Apple Corps, users may soon be able to buy many iPods preloaded with music, according to blog posts by some commentators. Wired's Leander Kahney notes that with the end of the conflict, Apple Inc. is no longer subject to a clause which prevented it from selling "physical media delivering prerecorded content." The effect of this was most clearly seen with the debut of the U2 Special Edition iPod, which only offered a voucher for U2's music through the iTunes Store. Not only will the U2 iPod have preloaded music, Kahney says, we will soon bear witness to products like a rumored "Yellow Submarine" iPod, preloaded with the Beatles catalogue and shipping on Valentine's Day.

Further speculation posits iPods with preloaded sample songs, like the Microsoft Zune, or many more specialized players, such as a Motown iPod, or iPod shuffles tied to an artist's new album. Tie-ins could prove to be an extremely lucrative concept for Apple, Kahney suggests. Record labels may be willing to pay high amounts to have their music featured, and inexpensive iPods could be sold at various venues, ready to be used without even touching iTunes or a computer. Concerts, for instance, might sell shuffles containing the performance visitors just saw.

by MacNN Staff