Are The Beatles coming to iTunes on Valentines Day?

17 January 2007 12:41 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Rumours are starting to circulate that The Beatles will soon be available on Apple's iTunes Music Download Store with some reports saying that the announcement will be made on the 14 February - Valentine's Day.

According to Beatles fan website Abbeyrd, an "unnamed source" has told them that a deal between the two Apple's has been struck, and that its latest album, Love, will be made available through iTunes.

It's not clear if back catalogue material will be released.

The band currently doesn't offer any of its music in a digital format however there has been rumblings of a move to do so for the past couple of months.

Earlier this month Steve Jobs, Apple's boss, played a Beatles track during his keynote speech at MacWorld where he announced the iPhone.

He played "Lovely Rita" while his presentation included the album covers of Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band projected on a huge screen onstage.

The Beatles are currently enjoying a resurgence in America with a new album, Love, and even a Cirque Du Soleil act at the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas inspired by their music.

Last year Fortune magazine speculated a limited edition Beatles iPod may also emerge as part of the deal.

In November we reported that the managing director of Apple Corps, owned Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and George Harrison's estate, in April revealed that the entire back catalogue is being digitally re-mastered for release on the Internet.

Neil Aspinall made the comment in a statement to London's High Court while the two companies where battling it out for the right to use the Apple logo.

At the time he said: “It would be wrong to offer downloads of old masters when I am making new masters”.

We will keep you posted.

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Audio, Online, Music downloads, Beatles, Apple, Rumours, Zune