money

How Did iTunes Finally Get the Beatles?

In the traditional manner one convinces someone to do something: loads of cash. Reuters reports that the Beatles’ deal with iTunes is not a normal royalty setup, where the artist may get 20 to 25 percent of retail revenue, but actually more of a licensing agreement. The exact numbers are not available — and iTunes obviously doesn’t want to give them up for fear of seeming like a real sucker — but because of arcane direct payment structure details we won’t bore you with, Reuters says the split of overall revenue for the band and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which controls much of the catalogue, is probably crazy lucrative relative to the numbers that usually come up in these situations. So, basically, it’s what you already assumed: The Beatles are getting paid. [Reuters via Exclaim]

How Did iTunes Finally Get the Beatles?