Music streaming fans rejoice — according to recent reports, it's highly likely that the Beatles' catalog will be available on music streaming services starting on Dec. 24.
It's not yet clear if the music will be available to all streaming services or just some, however, the move represents a big shift in the music industry, considering the fact that the Beatles have generally avoided embracing new music platforms.
While it's not certain that the music will be available for streaming, there are some strong indications. Right before their catalog of music was released on iTunes, solo work from the band members became available on the platform. That has happened again, with solo work now available on Spotify and Apple Music.
The switch does make sense. Earlier in the year, Warner Music Group announced that it was now making more money from streaming royalties than from digital downloads. Not only that, but it's not unreasonable to expect that the total revenue generated from streaming will exceed that from digital sales in 2016.
While we can certainly assume that Ringo and Paul, the two surviving members of the band, don't need the cash, making the music available on music streaming will ensure that there isn't an entire generation of music fans that hasn't heard the Beatles.
It's good news for fans of the band who have made the switch to music streaming — not so good, however, for the cover bands that currently show up when a user searches for the Beatles in a streaming service.
Via: VentureBeat
