Representatives of the Beatles are in discussions with various online music services about licensing their songs for distribution on the Internet, according to various reports.
The Beatles have been one of the biggest holdouts in releasing their catalog for sale online, and the lack of such mega-hits as “Let it Be” and “Yesterday” has been cited as a major weakness for fledgling, Web-based music stores.
Negotiators for the Beatles have talked with several companies, with a particular emphasis on Microsoft Corp’s MSN, which is expected to open an Internet music store late this summer, people familiar with the talks told Reuters.
“MSN is working very closely with the music industry to build a top-quality music service for consumers, which includes providing a wide selection of music, but has nothing specific to announce at this time,” said a Microsoft spokesman.
The discussions by the legendary group were first reported by CNET on Tuesday.
Read more at Reuters.
