The Beatles made their catalog available on iTunes for the first time on November 16, 2010. Apple Corps, EMI and Apple launched the downloads worldwide, opening the band's albums and individual songs to buyers through Apple's music store.
Apple gave the arrival prominent treatment on its website. A homepage teaser appeared the day before the announcement, then gave way to a photograph of the band on launch morning. Behind that publicity was a straightforward change for listeners. The remastered albums had already arrived on CD in 2009, and, as The Associated Press noted at the launch, fans could copy their CDs onto iPods. The agreement added a way to purchase those recordings directly through iTunes.
Getting there had involved two separate companies with the Apple name. The Beatles' Apple Corps and Apple Inc. settled their trademark dispute in February 2007. Under that agreement, Apple Inc. owned the Apple-related trademarks and licensed certain rights back to Apple Corps. The settlement also allowed the technology company to continue using its name and logos on iTunes. More than three years separated that agreement from the catalog's arrival, which followed negotiations involving EMI and Apple Corps.
Ringo Starr supplied the most pointed reaction in the joint launch announcement: “I am particularly glad to no longer be asked when the Beatles are coming to iTunes.”
The launch drew on the catalog's established album structure. Alongside the 12 original UK albums was the American-originated Magical Mystery Tour, making up the 13 remastered titles. The Red and Blue compilations offered retrospective selections, while Past Masters gathered non-album singles, B-sides and other recordings. That last collection mattered for listeners exploring beyond the studio albums: “Paperback Writer” and “Hey Jude” were among the songs it brought into the package.
Apple gave album purchases a visual component, too. The studio albums came with iTunes LP features and mini-documentaries about their creation. A $149 digital box bundled the 13 albums with Past Masters and the film Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964, capturing the band's first U.S. concert. The concert film was also available to stream free through the end of 2010. For U.S. buyers choosing smaller purchases, individual tracks cost $1.29, single albums $12.99 and double albums $19.99.
The first week produced a measurable response. Apple reported worldwide sales of more than 450,000 albums and 2 million individual songs, figures carried in AFP/Reuters reporting published by ABC News. In the U.S., Abbey Road was the band's best-selling album on the service, and “Here Comes the Sun” was its best-selling track.
The catalog's online availability expanded again on December 24, 2015, when the core albums and several compilations became available for streaming worldwide. The iTunes launch had established the download-purchase option; the later rollout brought those recordings to streaming listeners.
