Apple Announces Beatles on iTunes

Apple officially announced the Beatles are available on the iTunes Store Tuesday morning, well after most of the Internet had already discovered the band’s works were there. While the official announcement was met with little enthusiasm online, it does mark the first time the Fab Four’s works have been legitimately available for download.

The Beatles: Now on iTunes

All 13 of the band’s studio albums are available, along with the Red and Blue collections, the two-volume Past Masters compilation, the Beatles Box Set, and the 1964 Washington Coliseum performance video.

Apple also posted a special Beatles-related Web page with a Beatles tribute video and commercials highlighting the band’s arrival on iTunes.

“I am particularly glad to no longer be asked when the Beatles are coming to iTunes,” said Ringo Starr.

Reaction to Apple’s hype leading up to the announcement hasn’t been overly enthusiastic. Searches on Twitter revealed lots of “meh” tweets, and even speculation that Apple promoted the launch as much as they did as part of their settlement with Apple Corps, the Beatle’s management company.

The Beatles get their own Apple Web page

Apple Corps and Apple locked horns for years over the use of the Apple name, but the two companies eventually settled their legal differences. Speculation that the band’s works would come to the iTunes Store followed, although a legal battle between Apple Corps and EMI over royalties stalled any potential deals.

As recently as August, Yoko Ono, band member John Lennon’s widow, said there would’t be music download deals anytime soon and pointed at EMI and Steve Jobs for the delays. 

Beatles albums are priced at US$12.99, or $19.99 for double albums. Individual tracks cost $1.29 each. The Beatles Box Set is priced at $149.