Apple Corps, which represents The Beatles, has settled a £30m royalty dispute with EMI Group, removing the final obstacle preventing the band's music from going online.

Apple Corps is owned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison.

The company began legal proceedings against EMI in December 2005, claiming that EMI owed more than £30m in unpaid royalties from sales between 1994 and 1999.

Details of the settlement have not been disclosed, but EMI and Apple Corps said in a joint statement that they "settled last month on mutually acceptable terms".

Apple Corps can now negotiate a new royalties deal with EMI to cater for online music downloads via sites like iTunes.

"The conversation has changed from an 'if' to a 'when'," Jupiter Research analyst Mark Mulligan told Reuters.

"The Beatles are a perennial favourite. If they put The Beatles catalogue online you will very likely see them having number ones again."

Eric Nicoli, chief executive at EMI, said that the company is working on a timeframe for when The Beatles albums will be available online.