Is Apple really working with U2 on a new digital music format?

Part of Apple’s multimillion-dollar deal with iconic band U2 apparently includes building a new digital “format” for music, according to U2 front man Bono.

The news, first reported by Time earlier today, indicates that such a format would help put money into the pockets of artists that produce songs while also compelling people to buy more music. But as far as building a “new format” goes, I’m skeptical.

A “format” to the technology world means a file type that offers some sort of advantage over others (whether imagined or otherwise). One such “advantage” would be a music format used by a single company’s platform in order to prevent piracy, aka DRM. In this case, if Apple is working on a new music format, I presume it would be more concerned with improving sound quality than preventing theft. But that’s if it’s even a “format” to begin with.

Two things make me question Time’s report. First, Time isn’t a tech publication and didn’t spend much time probing into the specifics of this new “format” Apple is supposedly creating with U2. At the same time, if you replace “format” with “strategy” when reading the excerpt from the Time article below, it places U2’s involvement as part of the previously reported long-term deal Apple made with the band.

Bono tells TIME he hopes that a new digital music format in the works will prove so irresistibly exciting to music fans that it will tempt them again into buying music — whole albums as well as individual tracks. The point isn’t just to help U2 but less well known artists and others in the industry who can’t make money, as U2 does, from live performance. “Songwriters aren’t touring people,” says Bono. “Cole Porter wouldn’t have sold T-shirts. Cole Porter wasn’t coming to a stadium near you.”

Apple obviously bought into Beats’ vision of bringing a streaming music service to the world that actually helps artists make money, as is evident in Beats/Apple placing former Topspin CEO Ian Rogers into a leadership role. (Topspin helps music artists make money through social promotion and social advertising.) If Bono was actually talking about Apple’s overall plans to inspire higher sales with a new strategy for digital music (instead of a new “format”), things make much more sense.

I’m also skeptical because, while U2 in general is far more invested in technology than the average popular band, the word “format” to them could mean many different things.

It’s worth pointing out that Bono seems to enjoy putting on a “show” of sorts for important reporters writing about him. Case in point, an old article on the U2 front man titled “Mysterious Days” written by current New York Times Magazine ethicist in residence Chuck Klosterman from his days at music mag Spin. The article includes Klosterman following Bono around while he does good deeds near his home in Ireland and constantly wondering to himself whether Bono is simply putting on an act. That said, it might not be worth treating Bono’s comments as fact until Apple confirms.

VentureBeat is reaching out to Apple for some clarification. We’ll update this article with anything new we learn.