UK papers say Beatles coming to iTunes, no, really we mean it this time

Hmmmm...Apple iTunes + American Idol, American Idol + The Beatles...I can already hear Ryan Seacrest telling us to "stick around after the break for a major announcement."

"They also say that there is no word yet on how the the two surviving Beatles, and the heirs of Lennon and Harrison, will split the revenue from music sales on iTunes."

Let me guess ... the same way they split the rest of the millions they make every year.

So, except for Paul, who are the two remaining Beatles?

Surely you mean just one?

I agree with ZeroCorpse also. I feel I have had my chain jerked on this too, too many times to even care anymore. The rumors, the hints, the teases...how many years and how many "this time for sure!" times have there been? Even if this one pans out, which I now dobut because of the patter, I have ZERO interest at this point. Whoever was responsible for ever bringing this about has simply now fooled around and waited too long. They've screwed themselves out of any demand there might be left. I mean at some point their music will have to be relegated to the "Classics" or even "Classical" section. There won't be anyone alive that remembers any of it or knows who the Beatles were, and if they are they will be so old they won't be all that inclined to get it from iTMS anyway. I'm afraid the Beatles as a business have dinked around and lost the opportunity they had to make their music available in this way to yet another generation. "Now we know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall." True indeed.

Too late; I just bought all 15 CDs. It only cost me $160 including shipping.

Oh my god!!!!

The Beeeeetles!

How could i just live without them being on itunes!!?

An Apple store opens in Liverpool on 29th May, maybe that'll be a good excuse for Sir Paul to turn up an announce the Beatles on iTunes?

According to 'The Word' magazine this month, Apple Corps (The Beatles' company) won't agree to EMI releasing digitally until a legal dispute over back royalties is resolved.

Once Beatles music is on iTunes there will probably be a DRM free option because that's the deal EMI have with Apple (okay, maybe at a higher price per download).

If it's in the Daily Mail take it with a truckload of salt

To mirror the others' comments: I don't understand why The Beatles coming to iTunes is such a big deal and expected to be a $600 million cash cow? Are we really expected to believe that there are people out there who have held off buying Beatles music on the hope that some day the group's catalogue will be available as a download through iTunes? It's not like Beatles CDs are exactly hard to come by and can be used to get their music on your iPod quite legally already.

Will Beatles music on iTunes make money for both Apple and the Beatles? Undoubtedly. But is it really worth the years of hype and speculation and somewhat mind-boggling excitement?