Beatles say ‘let it be’: Fans can soon stream their music

The Beatles’ streaming partners include: Amazon Prime, Apple Music, Deezer, Google Play, Microsoft Groove, Rhapsody, Slacker Radio, Spotify and Tidal.

The Beatles have announced that their entire catalog of 14 albums and four compilations will be available for streaming beginning at 12:01 a.m. December 24 on all the major streaming providers.

The band – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – which split in 1970, have remained hugely popular and influential after clocking up 17 United Kingdom number one singles as a group.

The band was anxious that the valuable song catalogue could be devalued by selling individual songs or by an increased potential for digital piracy. The Beatles’ music will be available on the free and premium versions of services that have both.

Streaming members can stream Beatles classics from “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, to “In My Life”, and 222 more with friends and family this holiday season.

A representative for Universal Music Group didn’t immediately return a call seeking further details about the agreement.

Formed in Liverpool in 1960, The Beatles shaped the world of modern pop and rock music, and are estimated to be the best-selling band in the world, having shifted over 250 million records worldwide. It was all about maximizing album sales as the iTunes Store lets you buy individual songs. “A large share of those Beatles fans that are prospective album buyers are not yet streaming and probably won’t be for at least a couple of years”, said Mulligan.

Streaming is now the fastest-growing element of the music industry, and while some artists strongly question issues of control and royalty payments, others have fewer doubts about it.