August 18, 2010 by Jack Fox
Pink Floyd, one of the most successful rock groups of all time, have this week seen their music being pulled from digital download distributers, following the expiry of EMI’s contracts which covers the albums at the end of June.
The group, which created albums including The Wall, Animals and Dark Side of The Moon, were all released by Columbia Records when they were officially produced, but have come within EMI’s distribution and management since 2000. The albums have been taken off sites including iTunes and the Amazon MP3 store because of the expired EMI contract.
Fans of the group are still able to purchase the albums in CD format, as EMI has a certain amount of stock which they are able to sell off to consumers. However, it is thought that the company will not be permitted to manufacture any further copies of the albums until they have signed another contract. The ruling only affects albums which were produced later on in the band’s career, meaning that earlier collections such as “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” are still available on CD and as digital downloads on EMI.
According to label sources, the management behind the Pink Floyd band were seeking to procure a licensing deal for the entire catalogue of music approximately eighteen months ago. Music firms were asked to submit a presentation outlining how they would market the band’s music and bid for management, but many organisations pulled out after bidding for the catalogue got too expensive.
None of the band members, nor EMI, have commented about the current state of affairs. EMI have recently lost some big names to other companies, including Paul McCartney and Radiohead. When the firm was purchased by Terra Firma three years ago, the acquisition brought debts which it is thought the company has struggled to pay back.
Since 1991, Pink Floyd albums have sold 36.2 million copies in the United States, including 654,000 in 2009 and almost 311,000 this year.
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