iTunes is paying The Beatles' royalties from digital downloads directly to the band's company, Apple Corps, it's been reported.

The band's back-catalogue made its long-expected debut on iTunes in November last year.

The potentially ground-breaking agreement means The Beatles royalty split could be more than for regular artists who sell their music online.

Normally, a record label distributes royalists to artists and publishers after collecting the wholesale revenue from retailers. The typical figure for a major artist is 20%-25%.

But, according to Reuters, the Beatles record label EMI may be treating the iTunes deal as a licensing pact, which means the revenue split would be more lucrative.

Spokespeople for EMI and Apple Corps refused to comment on the report.

(by Jason Gregory)