Beatles expected to sign deal with Apple's iTunes
Credit: BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk)
Steve Jobs is known to be a Beatles fan
Apple is expected to announce today that the world's most famous band the Beatles is finally coming to iTunes.
This will mean that for the first time consumers will be able to purchase some of the Fab Four's most popular songs via the world's most popular online music store.
Apple and record label EMI have been in talks for years about getting the catalogue online.
Apple refused to comment about speculation of a possible deal.
Trademark dispute
But on Monday, the firm posted a mysterious message on its website that said "tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget."
Below it displayed a row of clocks showing the time of the announcement.
The Wall Street Journal reported that talks between Apple, members of the Beatles and EMI took place as recently as last week and "represents a watershed in a fraught, decades-long relationship between two of the biggest icons in their respective fields."
For years The Beatles' music label Apple Corps was involved in a bitter trademark dispute with Apple the computer company. The dispute was finally settled in 2007.
Earlier in the year Sir Paul McCartney hinted that part of the delay in getting a deal with Apple was down to EMI.
At the time he told the BBC that "there have been all sorts of reasons why they don't want to do it. To tell you the truth, I don't actually understand how it's got so crazy.
"I know iTunes would like to do it, so one day it's going to happen" added Sir Paul at the time.
Beatles USB
Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs is known to be a big fan of the Fab Four's music.
The Beatles catalogue has been a noticeable absence from the iTunes store despite the fact that solo works of members of the band are on sale there.
There have been forays into the digital world for the band.
Last year EMI released limited edition apple-shaped USB drives containing the Beatles 14 studio albums as digital files.
And in September 2009, The Beatles: Rock Band video game was released.
Even though the group formed around 50 years ago, they remain one of the top selling bands in the world.
Neilsen SoundScan reported that they have sold more than 30 million albums in the last decade.
EMI has said that with world-wide sales of one billion albums, the Beatles are the top-selling band in music history.
Bloomberg News reported that any deal with Apple comes amid uncertainty at EMI. The company's owner, private equity firm Terra Firma Capital Partners LTD, owes millions in debt payments to Citigroup which helped bankroll the purchase of EMI in 2007.
The iTunes music store opened in 2003 and is now the largest music retailer in the world.
Credit: BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk)
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