The Beatles finally on Apple Music, Spotify?

Will The Beatles’ catalogue finally be on music streaming services as Apple Music and Spotify by Christmas?

For a band that broke all the rules and single-handedly lead the way for many of the music industry’s innovations, The Beatles were the last to agree to go on CD. When they finally agreed to downloads, in 2011, it was only for Apple’s iTunes.

The Fab Four’s solo works are available for streaming but not The Beatles’ catalogue which is officially estimated to have sold 2.3 billion units worldwide. Their biggest market is the United States (200.1 million). Australia ranks as the sixth biggest Beatles market with total album sales of 2.8 million, after Canada, UK, Germany and France.

In recent times die-hards as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and AC/DC have succumbed to the digital world.

In August 2015 it was whispered that The Beatles, their record label Apple Corp and Universal Music had quietly struck a deal with various streaming services.

A month later, a wave of anticipation has swept the digital music sector and The Beatles’ fandom. Last weekend, the official Beatles website began flashing a countdown from 10 to 1. George Harrison’s estate Twitter account retweeted the countdown and hinted at “a major announcement!”

This of course could apply to a reissue series or DVD collection or a documentary.

But sharp-eyed observers note that the ‘10’ to ‘1’ announcement and the #thebeatles1 hashtag could allude to The Beatles’ hits collection 1. Collecting all their chart toppers between 1962 and 1970, it went to #1 in 35 countries after its release 15 years ago to mark the 30th anniversary of their break up.

It has sold 31 million units by 2009, according to Apple Corp. Featuring 27 of their best loved hits as Hey Jude, Yesterday, Get Back, A Hard Day’s Night, Paperback Writer and Let It Be, it could well be the Fab Four’s entry into the world of streaming.