McCartney in line for £200m payday

Sir Paul McCartney could earn up to £200m when The Beatles' back catalogue is made available to purchase online.

McCartney is believed to be close to signing a deal with EMI Records which could earn him and the band's estate £200m in royalties.

The singer plans to make The Beatles' works available on iTunes and other digital music providers.

"It's all happening soon," McCartney told Billboard. "The whole thing is primed, ready to go - there's maybe one little sticking point left and I think it's being cleared up as we speak so it shouldn't be too long."

The release of The Beatles tracks will help pay McCartney's divorce settlement with Heather Mills, which is due to be resolved on March 17.

The digital release of the group's work has been held up on legal grounds for years. Their estate has been involved in a row with electronics firm Apple over the use of the name in a music context, with the group's music published by their own company Apple Corp.