YouTube will host a live Paul McCartney concert Friday, Sept. 7, a coup for the company’s live streaming services.
Starting at 8 p.m. ET, the former Beatle will play songs from his storied career as well as from his new album Egypt Station. Fans can watch the show, which will be broadcast from New York, from this page.
YouTube has hosted live concerts before, featuring big-name acts includingU2, Bruce Springsteen, and Kanye West. Bon Jovi streamed a show eight years ago on the service. But McCartney is rock royalty and likely to draw the site’s largest audience to date.
McCartney has long embraced technology, but it seems like only yesterday that he and others with a vested interest in the Beatles catalog began down the long and winding road to bring the band’s songs to electronic media. Apple eventually won the rights in 2010.
Just last year, McCartney reached a settlement with Sony/ATV to reclaim the rights to Beatles songs, including “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Yesterday” and “Hey Jude,” owned by the label (and which were once owned by Michael Jackson).
With a net worth estimated at $1.2 billion, McCartney is one of the world’s highest paid musicians. Two years ago, he was named the most successful album act of all time in the U.K., hitting the number one spot 22 times. His concerts regularly sell out, making the YouTube performance a chance for fans to catch him not only for free, but without having to regularly refresh their web browser in hopes of getting a good seat.