From: www.wired.com
Michael Jackson’s posthumous album This Is It will be sold through iTunes, Sony told Wired.com, contradicting a Digital Music News report that Apple’s policy of insisting that songs be sold individually had cost it the chance to sell the album.
“I’m happy to report that [that] story is incorrect,” said Epic Records (Sony) senior vice president of publicity Lois Najarian. “Michael Jackson’s This It It album will indeed be for sale on iTunes on October 27th. I don’t have much more information to impart other than that right now, but suffice to say fans will be able to purchase it there.”
If Sony is right, either Michael Jackson’s people have agreed to let iTunes sell songs from the album individually, or Apple has reversed its longstanding policy of insisting that songs on albums also be sold individually in iTunes. We’ve asked Sony and Apple about this and hope to have an answer shortly.
“I know that’s the question of the day and they are working on that now,” said Najarian, when asked about the bundling issue.
This widely-anticipated album includes only one new track, also called “This Is It” (listen), which was co-written by Michael Jackson and Paul Anka in 1983, although four demos and a poem are also included. By making this only available as a complete album, Sony and Jackson’s estate would be able to force fans who want to buy the new track and the four demos to purchase 14 tracks they probably already own.
