Beatles' Music on ITunes At Last
The legendary Beatles are one of the last pop groups to allow the downloading of their music on the Internet. After years of talks between Apple Computers , the owner of the biggest download shop iTunes , and the Beatles’ record label EMI , both parties have agreed to allow the download of the “ Fab Four’s ” music.
Sir Paul McCartney, one of the two remaining Beatles still alive has said that downloading Beatles songs will give them even more popularity .
The agreement will bring a lot of money to EMI , the Beatles’ record label. For Apple and iTunes it is very prestigious to be the first online music store to offer the music of the world’s most popular bands, even though the computer firm only makes a small profit from digital music downloads. Each album costs $12.99; double albums are sold for $19.99. Music lovers can also download single songs for $1.29 each.
Apple Records , the Beatles own record company, and Apple Computers have been fighting in courtrooms for decades over the Apple trademark . Apple Computer’s boss Steve Jobs, a great Beatles fan, has been trying to strike a deal with the Beatles many times before. But talks have always failed.
The Beatles are the most successful group in pop music history. In America alone they have sold 177 million albums.
There are still some musicians who refuse to have their songs downloaded on the Internet: among them are AC/DC or Bob Seger. They say that people would download only a few songs they like and not buy the whole album.
Related Topics
- The Beatles - "Fab Four" From Liverpool
- Abbey Road Crossing Becomes National Heritage Site
- Beatles Release Music on Streaming Websites
- Streaming Music Earns More Money Than Downloads
Words
- agree = to say yes
- agreement = a promise to do something made by two or more people or groups
- allow = let, permit
- courtroom = place where legal quarrels and trials take place
- decade = a period of ten years
- digital = a system in which information is recorded as a series of numbers
- even though = while
- party = a group of people
- popularity = when something is liked by a lot of people
- prestigious = admired as one of the best or most important
- profit = money, income
- record = a round flat piece of plastic with a hole in the middle; music and sounds can be stored on it
- record label = music company
- refuse = to say no
- remaining = those who are left over after the others have died
- strike a deal = come to an agreement
- trademark = brand, company name
- whole = complete, total