Beatles on iTunes: “We can work it out”

November 16, 2010

Media speculation is rampant about a possible announcement that the Beatles music catalog may soon (finally!) be available on iTunes. [LA Times]

An agreement for legal downloading of the group’s cherished catalog of more than 200 songs recorded from 1962-1970 is about to be announced by Steve Jobs’ Apple Inc., the Beatles’ Apple Corps and EMI/Capitol Records.

The record company is expected to make what they called “an exciting announcement” Tuesday morning.

A source close to the Beatles camp said on Monday that such an agreement would not be surprising given the recent posting on iTunes of the entire Apple Records catalog of recordings, excluding the Beatles’ music.

That consists of 15 albums by acts the Beatles signed and recorded in the late ’60s and early 1970s after creating their own Apple Records label, among them Badfinger, James Taylor, Mary Hopkin and Jackie Lomax.

The Beatles have been the biggest holdout from the iTunes world, but several other major acts still have not licensed music to the downloading service, including Garth Brooks, Kid Rock, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Tool and Bob Seger.

Last year Paul McCartney said the only hurdle to posting the group’s music online was remaining differences between EMI and Apple Corps’  “principals”: himself, Ringo Starr, John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison’s widow, Olivia Harrison.

No details were reported of whatever deal may have been reached between the Beatles, Apple Inc and EMI, but speculation immediately began as to how much Beatles downloads will cost.

Experts believe the songs will bring in a “premium fee.”