This is the news that I expect to change the music industry

[MIIthasav]

iTunes goes DRM-free with EMI

Songs from major music label are available via Apple's store sans digital rights management software that prevents file copying.

By Candace Lombardi
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: May 30, 2007, 8:10 AM PDT


Apple's iTunes store began selling DRM-free songs from EMI on Wednesday.

DRM (digital rights management) software prevents owners from copying or freely using a digital file across multiple devices.

As expected, all the songs from music label EMI that are sold on iTunes are now available in DRM-free versions. Shoppers have the option to purchase either a 256kbps AAC-encoded DRM-free song for $1.29 via iTunes Plus, or the usual 128kbps AAC-encoded DRM-version for 99 cents.

"We expect more than half of the songs on iTunes will be offered in iTunes Plus versions by the end of this year," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. No one at Apple was available for live comment on Wednesday morning.

Previously purchased EMI songs can be upgraded to the DRM-free version for 30 cents per song, or $3 per album.

EMI artists in the deal include Coldplay, The Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra. The deal excludes Beatles songs.

In February, Jobs released an open letter asking that record companies consider going DRM-free. Apple and EMI announced in April that a DRM-free deal was in the works and that it would exclude Beatles songs.

In order to use iTunes Plus, people must download iTunes 7.2, the latest version of the software.

eMusic already offers DRM-free songs, but its catalog has been limited to mostly independent labels.

http://news.com.com/iTunes+goes+DRM...7457.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-5&subj=news

 

[GHP]

well if the music industry is going to survive they need to do something like that, too many people DL ing shit and not buying albums it gets worse every year

 

[Jack Tracks]

well if the music industry is going to survive they need to do something like that, too many people DL ing shit and not buying albums it gets worse every year

BULLLLLLLLLLLLLLSHIT............................. check that stats homie.. there making more money than ever off music and there product.. there just doin it differently.. I know CD's arent selling in stores, but MP3 sales online are crazy and getting bigger and bigger everyday... the record companies market themselves as getting hurt by illegeal downloading.. its BS! there just making there money a different way, and its cheaper than ever for them to distribute there product (upload to server, instead of physically creating a cd and distributing it to stores)

 

[MIIthasav]

BULLLLLLLLLLLLLLSHIT............................. check that stats homie.. there making more money than ever off music and there product.. there just doin it differently.. I know CD's arent selling in stores, but MP3 sales online are crazy and getting bigger and bigger everyday... the record companies market themselves as getting hurt by illegeal downloading.. its BS! there just making there money a different way, and its cheaper than ever for them to distribute there product (upload to server, instead of physically creating a cd and distributing it to stores)

I think that is the most important thing. Independent rappers need to get up on it. Start marketing yourself for online sales, instead of marketing yourselves to the majors who will sooner or later be marketing your for online sales...

 

[Defy]

majors are making a killing off the net but indies aren't making as much. bootleg downloads doesn't really hurt the big companies.

drm free shit will probably make a huge impact, especially on steve jobs pockets

 

[Arson]

Also record companys turn a profit on EVERY SINGLE CDR SOLD..

 

[MIIthasav]

As a consumer, I wouldn't and haven't bought any music online. I will now though buy DRM free music from itunes.