Apple and Apple Corps have put down their dueling lawyers to finally allow the biggest music seller on the planet to offer digital music downloads from the most influential band in rock and roll history.
Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, said in a statement, "It has been a long and winding road to get here. Thanks to the Beatles and EMI, we are now realizing a dream we've had since we launched iTunes ten years ago."
Apple is offering single albums from The Beatles' collection for $12.99 each, double albums for $19.99 and individual songs for $1.29. A special digital "Beatles Box Set," which contains the band's 13 remastered studio albums with iTunes LPs and mini-documentaries, the two "Past Masters" albums and the "Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964" concert film (an iTunes exclusive) will retail for $149.
While Mr. Jobs and company were basking in the glow of The Beatles, rival Amazon was looking to offset any advantage Apple might have with price cuts on the band's music. While there is no news yet as to whether Amazon will get downloads from the band's collection, it does sell CDs and DVDs of titles sold on Apple and more.
Amazon cut its price on the remastered albums box set from $154.99 to $129.99. It is also selling popular single albums, such as Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper's, for $7.99. The White Album went from $18.99 to $11.99 on Amazon.
Discussion Questions: What will Apple's deal to sell digital downloads
of Beatles' albums mean for iTunes and its competitors? Will Amazon's response
to the Apple/Beatles news undercut the iTunes launch?
[Editor's Note] For those who might question the drawing power of a band
that split up 39 years ago, The Beatles sold 3.3 million albums in 2009 according
to Nielsen SoundScan. That put the band at third on the list of all acts selling
albums.