Beatles' Apple Label No Longer Just Worldwide, Now It's (Part of) Universal
Nearly 60 years after the Beatles formed Apple Corps Ltd., a fab business for the Fab Four, the label is going across the universe, or at least to nicer digs within the Universal Music Group. UMG, which already manages the group’s catalog, will now oversee the band’s physical and digital merchandise, licensing, and e-commerce.
“The Beatles message has never been more relevant or needed in the world today,” Tom Greene, CEO of Apple Corps Ltd, said in a statement, “and we look forward to delighting millions of fans with everything we have planned.”
“The Beatles embody music’s power to change the world, and that influence makes them one of the most iconic and enduring cultural brands of all time,” said Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group. “We’re grateful for Apple Corps’ trust as we deepen our global partnership, while protecting and growing the Beatles’ legacy through authentic fan experiences worthy of their artistry. As a lifelong Beatles fan, building on the relationships forged over the past 14 years is one of the great highlights of my career.”
One of the businesses’ first joint endeavors will be a “fan experience” opening in 2027 called “The Beatles at 3 Savile Row.” That London address should be familiar to Beatlemaniacs since the Mayfair townhome housed Apple’s offices beginning in June 1968. It’s also the building whose basement served as the studio for Let It Be and whose rooftop became the stage for the group’s final public performance. The band sold the building in 1976 but has since repurchased it for the planned museum space, which will display seven floors of never-before-seen artifacts from Apple’s offices, a recreation of the studio, other exhibitions, and a store.
The partnership also foregrounds the upcoming Beatles biopic, The Beatles — A Four Film Cinematic Event, set to open in 2028. Sam Mendes is directing the first script to get its full blessing from Apple, and will use the band’s music (unlike Backbeat in 1995).
Apple recently celebrated Global Beatles Day on June 25, making a fan-led celebration official. To launch their involvement with it, they re-released the original performance of “All You Need Is Love.”