[NewsPoster]

A new report from Bloomberg is claiming that legendary streaming holdout The Beatles will allow "most, if not all" of their catalog to begin streaming on Apple Music -- and possibly other services -- on December 24. Apple has enjoyed a strong relationship with the band, and introduced the Beatles catalog as downloadable digital files on iTunes in 2010 as a worldwide exclusive. It also recently launched the exclusive digital version of the band's latest collection, 1+ -- a set of 50 music videos and other films recently restored and remastered.

If true, the debut on streaming services would mark a significant change for the group, and could also be a coup for Apple Music if there was a period of exclusivity before The Beatles allowed other streaming services access to the catalog. The band is one of the most important groups whose music is not yet available for streaming, though some other bands are also notable by their absence -- including Prince and Garth Brooks. Taylor Swift was a notable holdout as well, before reaching an agreement with Apple following a spat about royalty payments during the service's three-month free trial period.

Apple Music to get 24-bit streaming in 2016?

Another round of rumors is claiming that Apple Music will launch higher-quality audio streaming sometime next year. The speculation comes from anonymous industry sources that spoke to Japanese enthusiast site Mac Otakara during a Portable Audio festival there. There have been scattered reports that Apple has been developing a new "Hi-Res Audio" codec for streaming over the past two years, largely stemming from music bloggers, and word that artist Neil Young once held talks with former Apple CEO Steve Jobs on the topic.

Young ultimately developed his own PonoPlayer, which has languished in obscurity. A rumor from the same Japanese site claimed that higher-resolution audio was to be included in iOS 8, but this didn't pan out. However, the release of iOS 9 made it possible to funnel audio up to 24-bit (192kHz) through the Lightning port. Overall support for the higher standard could be driving the company's rumored move to using Lightning to replace the traditional analog audio headphone jack on future iOS and other devices.

Hi-Res is snake oil unless you're editing. Just offer Apple Lossless at 16/44.

[tehwoz]

"Overall support for the higher standard could be driving the company's rumored move to using Lightning to replace the traditional analog audio headphone jack " /////////////. Lol --- Do you guys make this stuff up? A traditional ANALOG audio jack is pure perfect analog ... it is as perfect audio as you can get. Moving to higher-res digital streaming has NOTHING to with analog headsets. P.S. iPhones without an analog out will flop.

[tehwoz]

I don't agree that hi-res is snake oil at all. It is true that it is probably irrelevant to people who listen with iPhones or don't have a serious set up. And those that DO have a serious set up are unlikely to be listening via downloads or streaming anyway, and they will most likely have serious gear and prefer serious formats like SACD especially DSD-based recordings (the native format of SACD), whereas Apple is just belatedly offering hi-res PCM.

[Spheric Harlot]

Higher sample rates have no benefit.

24 bits, marginally so - really just a lower noise floor.

I do think that Apple will remove the audio port, but I don't see any significant benefit to MUSIC from higher fidelity. m4a at 256 kbs is fine. I think that Apple will just go all wireless audio; that's why they will remove the audio port.