Abbey Road Studios Unveils State-of-the-Art Multimedia Facility

Strategic Insights -

Abbey Road Studios, the renowned recording venue, has opened a cutting-edge multimedia development studio, Abbey Road Interactive, in collaboration with Apple Computer. The new facility is the only one of its kind linked to a major recording studio, providing a unique environment for artists to create interactive music CDs. With the integration of CD-quality music with video, graphics, animation, text, and speech, enhanced CDs will enable artists to share their creative vision with fans in innovative ways.

Key Takeaways:

  • Abbey Road Interactive is the first single-site commercial facility capable of linking sight and sound through enhanced CD formats.
  • The facility houses a state-of-the-art Macintosh-based multimedia development studio custom-built to produce the new generation of multimedia-enhanced music CDs.
  • Enhanced CDs will allow recording artists to share information and creative vision with fans in original and exciting new ways.
  • The market for CD-ROM and enhanced CDs is set to grow ten-fold by the year 2000.
  • Recording artists such as Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan, Prince, and The Rolling Stones have already expressed interest in the new format.
  • Abbey Road is the perfect location for the facility, offering a unique combination of cutting-edge recording technology, experience, and an understanding of the creative and emotional needs of musicians.
  • Jim Fifield, President and CEO of EMI Music, and Satjiv Chahil, vice president of Entertainment Industry & New Media Division, Apple Computer, Inc., have expressed their excitement and commitment to the project.

Statistics:

  • 10-fold growth expected in the CD-ROM and enhanced CD market by the year 2000.
  • Enhanced CDs will allow artists to share information and creative vision with fans in new ways.
  • Abbey Road Studios have been in operation since 1931.
  • The new facility is physically linked to four recording studios and 15 post-production suites.
  • Apple Computer is a pioneer and innovator in the information industry, headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Sources:

  • "Abbey Road Interactive" press release, December 12, 1995.
  • "Apple Computer, Inc." website, accessed December 1995.
  • "Interactive music is a new media format that provides both a data track and an audio track running concurrently on a standard CD-ROM" (Notes to Editors).
  • "The creative community, the music industry in particular, have always stood by Apple" (Satjiv Chahil, vice president, Entertainment Industry & New Media Division, Apple Computer, Inc.).