CUPERTINO, Calif. (CelebrityAccesss) — Apple, and Universal Music Group have teamed up with Irish rockers U2 to 'gift' U2's latest album “Songs of Innocence” free to iTunes Store customers in 119 countries for the next five weeks.
Apple claims that this will be the largest album release ever, with more than half a billion copies distributed. The music will be available via iTunes Radio and on the Beats Music Service as well.
"Songs of the Innocent" features 11 new tracks from the band and purports to provide a retrospective of the group's influences over the course of their career. Recorded in New York, London, Los Angeles and Dublin the album is produced by Danger Mouse, along with Paul Epworth, Ryan Tedder, Declan Gaffney and Flood.
“U2 has been an important part of Apple’s history in music and we’re thrilled to make ‘Songs of Innocence’ the largest album release ever,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “We get to share our love of music today by gifting this great new album to over half a billion iTunes customers around the world.”
This isn't U2's first collaboration with Apple, and the group was a partner for apple in the opening of the iTunes Store in 2003. At the time, Apple released a U2 Special edition iPod and created “The Complete U2” box set together. Apple also is a partner in Bono's Aids awareness charity Red. – Staff Writers
