It’s their 50th anniversary year and, in a fit of generosity, The Rolling Stones have released their entire back catalogue and made it available in a special section of iTunes. Maybe generous isn’t the right word, since the rockers themselves are profiting from sales of every piece of work they’ve released – from the 1963 cover of Chuck Berry'sCome Onto 2012's hits collectionGRRR!, plus all live albums and compilations, according to USA TODAY.

Fans of the band will no doubt be grateful though. In addition, all tracks have been remastered specifically for iTunes. The collection will be separated in two bundles, both available for purchase at the easy to remember URL iTunes.com/TheRollingStones. The collection is separated into pretty much “the early years” and “the later years” – that is, The Complete Collection Box Set 1963-1971 and The Complete Collection Box Set 1971-2013. As a bonus, the section features other Stones media, including the documentary Crossfire Hurricane, The Rolling Stones 50 eBookand The Rolling Stones Official App, as well as early films Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965,Ladies And Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones and Rock and Roll Circus.

Sounds pretty cool, if a bit pricey, but this is definitely a smart move on the part of them and their numerous labels. The fact is, all of this media is already out into the ether, being shared and downloaded countless times. Making it available, legally and for a reasonable price, can only divert some of the profit into the band’s pockets.

Check out more pictures of The Rolling Stones here.

Rolling Stones, BFI London Film Festival
The Stones are getting with the times.

Rolling Stones, BFI London Film Festival
All in honor of their 50th year.