Apple Keynote Event Scheduled for Early September?

MediaMemo reports on claims from music industry sources that Apple is planning a keynote event for the week of September 7th.

Time to get the rumor mill kicked into high gear: Multiple music industry sources say Apple executives have told them the company is planning one of its famed keynote events for the week of Sept. 7.

But in true Apple fashion, the company has been noncommittal about the exact date of the event and what it will be showing off.

Given the apparent inside information held by media executives, the report suggest that the event may highlight Apple's rumored "Cocktail" iTunes album enhancements.

Given that Apple has tipped off music industry executives, its a fair bet that the event will incorporate music in some way. Perhaps it will show off the new Cocktail format that Apple has been working on, which bundles full-length albums with other goodies like album covers and interactive bells and whistles.

iPod updates are another likely possibility, with evidence pointing to the possibility of revised iPod touch and nano models offering built-in cameras. Rumors of Blu-ray support, iPhone app organization and social media integration in iTunes 9 are another possible topic of discussion for the event. Finally, rumors have pointed to the possibility of an announcement regarding Apple's much-rumored tablet computer as early as September.

Apple has traditionally held media-focused keynote event each September to introduce new iTunes features and iPod updates, making the announcement of a similar event this year an unsurprising move.

- 2008: Apple held a "Let's Rock" event to introduce iTunes 8 and new iPod touch, nano, and shuffle models.

- 2007: Apple held a "The Beat Goes On" event introducing the original iPod touch alongside updates to the remainder of the iPod line, an iTunes 7.4 update, and iPhone price drops.

- 2006: Apple offered the "It's Showtime" event introducing iTunes 7 and iPod updates, as well as a sneak peak at the "iTV" that launched several months later as the Apple TV.

- 2005: Apple's "Here We Go Again" event introduced the Motorola ROKR mobile phone with iTunes support alongside the release of iTunes 5 and saw the introduction of the original iPod nano to replace the iPod mini.