Linkin Park, one of the few major acts that had yet to make its music available via Apple’s iTunes Music Store, has changed course and pacted with the service. Three of the group’s albums are available beginning Tuesday, each with two bonus tracks and a third iTunes exclusive cut.

In addition, iTunes is selling the video content featured on the group’s “Live in Texas” and “Collision Course” DVDs. “We were really excited when iTunes told us that we were one of their most requested acts,” group member Mike Shinoda says. “We will never ignore our fans and the timing seemed right to make our music available, with some special additions.”

In late July, Metallica made its music available on iTunes for the first time, leaving the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Radiohead and Garth Brooks among the remaining major holdouts.

Meanwhile, Linkin Park is still at work on the follow-up to 2003’s “Meteora” with producer Rick Rubin. The as-yet-untitled new album was originally expected by the end of the year via Warner Bros., “but at this point we don’t see that happening,” Shinoda told fans last week during an online chat. “We’re doing really well, but we just need a little more time.”

“We have narrowed it down to about 30-50 songs, and some of those are heavy, some are softer and some are in between,” he continued. “So far it has a different sound that I cannot describe. It sounds like it’s older, but not vintage. More organic in some spots, like just yesterday we recorded a song with no samples that is completely raw. Other songs are full of samples.”

One new song, provisionally named “Qwerty,” was debuted earlier this month in Japan. “We did those lyrics on the plane on the way to Japan,” Shinoda said. “I’m not sure if it’ll make the album, but we liked the song enough to play it.”

In related news, Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington makes a cameo in the Jason Statham film “Crank,” which opens Friday in North American theaters.

Reuters/Billboard