Apple Computer said Wednesday that it signed deals with three of the United Kingdom’s largest independent labels, partly ending a licensing spat that had kept many popular bands out of the company’s European iTunes service.
The deal, with the Beggars Group, Sanctuary Records Group and V2, means that artists such as the Pixies, The White Stripes and Morrissey will be available through the service in Europe.
“We’re thrilled to add three of Europe’s largest indie labels to our iTunes Music Store in the U.K., France and Germany,” Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs said in a statement. “We welcome Beggars, Sanctuary and V2 to the iTunes family and plan to add many more independent labels soon.”
Apple’s European launch, which came last month, has been seen as a test of whether the success of the company’s popular iTunes digital music store could be replicated outside the American market.
Early signs have been favorable for Apple. The company said it sold more than 800,000 songs during the first week of operations in the British, German and French markets, with more than half of those sales coming from the United Kingdom alone.
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