Irish rock band U2 announced today at the Apple live-streamed event that they are releasing their 13th studio album for free. The technology giant and "Beautiful Day" group said during the event that their newest album, "Songs of Innocence," dropped Tuesday and will be free to iTunes account holders.

Following Apple's new line of iPhone and smartwatch products were shared with the world, the group took the stage with Apple CEO Tim Cook to make the announcement that the album can be shared exclusively on iTunes, iTunes Radio and newly acquired Beats Music through Oct. 13.

According to the iTunes Editor's notes for the album, U2's newest project "has roots in the band's early and lifelong influences including the Ramones, Bob Dylan and The Clash. It pays homage to U2's formative years in Dublin and their transformative pilgrimage to California. It's a collection of songwriting and music made possible only by shared time and life experiences."

The partnered venture will mark the largest album release of all time, as it is now available in 119 countries around the world.

This deal is also part of a long-running relationship between Apple and U2. The group was featured in a special edition iPod product in 2004 that had a unique black-and-red design along with the four members' signatures. Lead singer Bono also was known to have been close with the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

The band closed out the Apple special press conference by performing the lead single off "Songs of Innocence," a track inspired by a rock icon in the aptly-named "The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)."

In an interview with Rolling Stone the day before, Bono explained the perspective of "Songs of Innocence."

"We wanted to make a very personal album," he said. "[The band wanted] to figure out why we wanted to be in a band, the relationships around the band, our friendships, our lovers, our family. The whole album is first journeys, first journeys geographically, spiritually, sexually. And that's hard. But we went there."

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