THE entire Beatles back catalogue has been put online for free download.

A Norwegian website has begun posting all 212 recorded tracks thanks to a new licensing deal in the country in what is thought to be the first time the band's music has been offered legally online.

But British fans were warned each track is preceded by a three-minute documentary, in Norwegian, about the track's history.

The deal between national broadcaster NRK and Norway's copyright organisation Tono, which owns the music rights, allows NRK to publish the podcast, Our Daily Beatles.

NRK says it has the rights to publish podcasts of all its previously broadcast radio and television shows which contain less than 70 per cent music.

Apple's negotiations to get the songs onto its iTunes store stalled when Apple Corps Ltd, the Beatles' holding company, and record label EMI, which owns the recording rights to Beatles songs, could not come to an agreement.

An EMI spokesman said. "We have been working hard to secure an agreement with Apple Corps to make The Beatles' legendary recording catalogue available to fans in digital form. Unfortunately the various parties involved have been unable to reach agreement, but we really hope everyone can make progress soon."

"Last word I got back was it's stalled at the moment," Sir Paul McCartney said in November. "But I really hope it will happen because I think it should."

It is estimated that the Beatles' back catalogue, containing albums such as Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the White Album and Help!, will be the most prized music catalogue released via the internet, worth up to £200 million, according to some estimates and it is expected to dominate download charts for many months.

To download the podcasts, internet users should visit http://nrk.no/podkast

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