The Beatles have announced that their back catalogue will be available on online streaming services for the first time as of midnight tonight.
"On December 24 at 12:01am local time -- here, there and everywhere -- The Beatles’ music is available for streaming worldwide via the following nine services: Apple Music, Deezer, Google Play, Microsoft Groove, Napster / Rhapsody, Amazon Prime Music, Slacker Radio, Spotify and Tidal," reads a post on the band's official Facebook page.
December 24 at 12:01am local time, The Beatles’ music is available for streaming worldwide: https://t.co/99cigizLza pic.twitter.com/42vZSNGVHG
— The Beatles (@thebeatles) December 23, 2015
It had previously been speculated that the group's music would be made available through an exclusive deal with one streaming service.
The Beatles' back catalogue remains one of the most lucrative properties in music and the rights-holders have taken a cautious approach to making their music available on online platforms.
Their 13 studio albums did not appear on Apple's iTunes Store until 2010 - by that point streaming was already beginning to disrupt the download business model that Apple's store was based on.
Spotify has confirmed that the music will be available for both premium and free users.
Gennaro Castaldo, spokesperson for BPI, a British music industry body, said that the news means that “streaming’s journey towards the mainstream will nearly be complete.”
“An increasing number of music consumers are switching to streaming for their day to day needs, while still also buying and collecting their favourite artists on vinyl and CD, so the addition of such iconic albums can only accelerate the dramatic growth of this digital platform,” he added.