Apple has traditionally used a post-Labor Day event to roll out new products for the Christmas sales season and this year should prove no different. Rumors are increasing that music related products will play a major part in any 2009 unveiling. But whether the news will be simply a revamped iPod Nano or include Apple's new digital album format called Cocktail remains speculation.
The goal of Cocktail is to reivigorate interest in the album by adding a download package that includes liner notes, videos and other bonus content. But in typical Apple fashion, the new format is proprietery and tied in part to a new Apple tablet device that may not be ready until later in the year. To add to the confudion, the major labels have also banded together to create their own album bundle dubbed CMX.
With the album bundle horse race on, I'm betting that Apple will make a format announcement in September, perhaps tied to an iPhone and iPod touch app.
