Beatles one step closer to iTunes with iPhone app

Angus Kidman
Tuesday, 26 January 2010 02:39

Your IT - Home IT

A new iPhone app offering the lyrics and chords to 160 Beatles songs has inched the Fab Four even closer to an official electronic release, marking the first appearance by the band on iTunes.


The Little Black Songbook iPhone application is described by publisher Music Sales as "the first licensed Beatles material to appear on iTunes". The $8.99 application also includes 30 professionally recorded backing tracks for fans to play along with, and a number of instructional videos on how to play the songs.

Ever since Apple settled its long-running dispute with the Beatles in 2007 over the trademark for the name Apple, speculation has been rife that the Beatles' material would finally be available to purchase online. However, while the Beatles' back catalogue was remastered and reissued on CD in 2009, included in a special edition of the Rock Band franchise, and even released on a special Apple-shaped USB stick, it remains unavailable on iTunes or other digital download services.