Here's a quickie that isn't exactly overflowing with drama all on its lonesome, but it just might provide closure on a previous plot twist that we know has been eating you up inside for over a month now. Faithful viewer Tuner Equalizer tipped us off to new iTunes Music Store developments allegedly described in Billboard Bulletin. We say "allegedly" because Billboard Bulletin isn't just some online rag; it's just some industry online rag, and as such, it costs $54.95 a month to read-- meaning, we're about as likely to check this news at its source as we are to throw away Twinkies because they're past their expiration date. So we're relying on the summary at MacMinute, which is probably safe, since those guys have, like, a commitment to accuracy or something. Weirdos.

Anyway, so one such development is that Apple has reportedly partnered with Google to get record labels cheaper rates on advertising if said labels promote iTunes-- you know, sort of how Intel subsidizes ads for computer manufacturers who stick that "Intel Inside" tag in there, only less unsavory. (How, we're not sure. It just is. Shut up.) Neat and all, but the bit that made us go "hmmmmmmm" was this: "Apple is preparing an application called iTunes Producer, which will help labels submit content for inclusion in the store." Apparently this thing will let labels encode music properly for iTMS resale, add all artist/album/track info, include cover art, and send the whole package off to Apple with a minimum of muss and just a teensy bit of fuss. A beta is due on Halloween and the software will be free.

Once more: neat, but not terribly exciting, right? But the reason why it made us go "hmmmmmmm" is because we got to thinking: could "iTunes Producer" be the mysterious product originally destined to bear the trademark "Garage Band," which Apple registered a few months back? It fits, right? If so, we're a little disappointed that Apple blandified it with a name as prosaically descriptive as "iTunes Producer" (why not call it "iTunes Music Store Song Encoder and Uploader That Has a Self-Referential and Really Uninteresting Name"?), but hey, they're the ones making $44 million a quarter while we're passing over $54.95-a-month web sites and saving Twinkies from the mesozoic era, so clearly they know what they're doing.

And anyway, maybe iTunes Producer was never meant to be Garage Band in the first place, and Garage Band, whatever it turns out to be, is still just around the corner. Fingers crossed for a classic rock supergroup with Steve Jobs on keyboard and vocals! Freebird! FREEEEEBIIIIRD!!