Concerts are now available on iTunes in a deal Apple struck with events company Live Nation.
iTunes has a section featuring the concerts of about 20 artists ranging from Jesse McCartney to Ziggy Marley, the companies said.
They expect hundreds of more shows in the coming months. Prices will start at about $7.99.
Los Angeles-based Live Nation will produce most of the offerings from the more than 20,000 concerts it promotes each year. The company has reached licensing deals for live performances with major labels and artists to enable a smooth launch of the service, it said.
Digital technology has made it significantly more cost-effective to produce and distribute concert recordings through online services such as iTunes or Amazon.com.
Live Nation did not disclose financial terms of the agreement, nor did it estimate how much revenue it expects to gain from the venture.
But the company’s investment risk is expected to be relatively small as it already records many of the show it promotes.