Amazon announces DRM-free MP3 music store

Just as the Times Online predicted last month, Amazon.com is set to strike a potentially major blow against DRM by launching a download store later this year that will offer millions of songs in unprotected, MP3-only format. Leading the list of a claimed 12,000 record labels is none other than Apple-buddy EMI, which has been widely praised for its decision to distribute unlocked 256kbps tracks on iTunes -- but the lack of any other participating majors means that Amazon just doesn't have the catalog yet to compete with other established megastores. However, a profitable showing from EMI's 'experiment' may very well convince the other labels to accede to consumer demand and start joining the free music party too, meaning that this move by a player like Amazon is certainly nothing to sneeze at. So, here's to Jeff Bezos for his decidedly anti-DRM philosophy (this time around, at least), and to that wonderful day in the future when we'll actually be able to watch all those Lost episodes from iTunes that don't play right on any of our three computers.

[Lee @ May 16th 2007 10:20AM]

I don't think Bezos cares about DRM, but it's the only competitive advantage they have over itunes at the moment.

[Lee @ May 16th 2007 10:21AM]

I don't think Bezos cares about DRM, but it's the only competitive advantage they have over itunes at the moment.

[brutha-man @ May 16th 2007 10:21AM]

well its about dayum time......

[scorchio75 @ May 16th 2007 10:32AM]

"...decidedly anti-DRM philosophy"? Erm, isn't the Amazon 'Unbox' VOD service particularly crippled?

[Matt @ May 16th 2007 10:34AM]

Nice, but it's probably going to cost more, right?

[chris @ May 16th 2007 10:51AM]

Who cares why they did it, the end result is that we all benefit. Let's hope the others jump on board.
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[Galley @ May 16th 2007 11:06AM]

If I had to chose between MP3 and AAC, I'd go with AAC. If I were actually buying DRM-free tracks, I'd prefer lossless.

[tekdroid @ May 16th 2007 12:07PM]

so good to see overpriced lossy content foisted on the masses trying to kick CDs - 1980s technology - off its throne. I'll stick with the silver discs, thanks.

[Simon P @ May 16th 2007 12:49PM]

@ Random: I'd have to disagree that DRM is needed, even in concept. I've been known to download the odd song from less than legitimate sources but would gladly stop doing this and pay if I could get what I wanted in a DRM-free form that I could play anywhere. It's my experience from talking to a lot of people like me that they'd do the same. There will always be idiots pirating stuff and idiots downloading it even if there is DRM. Recent events have proven that no DRM is particularly secure. Admittedly I've been one of those idiots and honestly, I'll continue to be one from time to time unless DRM goes away. Experiments like these give me a great deal of hope that the suits might finally be seeing the light. I WANT to pay, but I just don't want to pay for DRM-laden crap. The sooner they understand that a lot of people feel this way, the sooner they'll make a butt-load more cash for themselves. They're going to have to put up with a certain level of piracy no matter what they do. I guess I think it would actually decline if they get rid of DRM.....not meaning to stir, just curious what others might think.

[dave @ May 16th 2007 1:41PM]

indeed so, maybe ill consider buying the tunes if i can finally do with them as i wish. I would gladly pay for a non DRM song because i would like to pay for what i use. At the moment I could buy a song and have it crippled or download it for free and be able to play it on my PSP, media centre etc. etc.

slightly off topic, but i wont be going HD DVD or blu ray because if i want to put the film i legally bought onto my PSP or whatever, i cant... but if i download someone elses version, i can... make it easy for me to pay for stuff and i will, as long as its mine to do as i like with.

[markie205 @ May 16th 2007 3:34PM]

"all those Lost episodes from iTunes that don't play right on any of our three computers."

Vista, shmista... have you tried to play them on a current system Mac?

[Skullfighterspam @ May 16th 2007 5:18PM]

I bought 1 album with DRM. Realized that I couldn't use it on anything other than my iPod and computer and stopped buying.

allofmp3.com is the way of the future!

[Harbinger @ Jul 25th 2007 11:00AM]

I think you mean mp3sparks.com

[gadget freak @ May 16th 2007 5:28PM]

First let me say that I am computer savvy and have built my own computer and overclocked it, I know what I am doing....I have DRM music that I purchased online that was NEVER moved from my mp3 player or computer.....I now cannot play them because my computer and my mp3 player tell me they have no license to play the songs even though I have tried to update the licenses and re-sync the songs. I did nothing to warrant this, and have now lost money because of DRM. I also have a friend who purchased over $100 from Walmart .com and he had to back up the songs and their licenses (through windows media player). Guess what? thanks to DRM he now has over $100 of worthless files and wallmart.com will not reimburse him. Forgive me if I sound angry but he and I have not shared the music AT ALL nor burned CDs of the music and now cannot play our music because of DRM. I say down with DRM in music and will purchase all of my music on "old technology" because of this. Thanks DRM for making my music "secure" and keeping me from listening to music that I have absolutely NO intention of pirating.

[config6 @ May 16th 2007 9:24PM]

DRM for audio discs is unnecessary. When you buy a disc at the store it is rarely copy protected.

[Anthony @ May 17th 2007 12:35PM]

There are some (more than I would have though) that are (yes, you can circumvent them)- The new-ish Belle & Sebastian & Nellie McKay's albums were both protected against loading onto a computer. Being a clutz, when I tried to "unprotect" them I accidentally screwed up one of the disc sides.

[Kevin Farley @ May 17th 2007 1:03PM]

I've purchased a grand total of one album with DRM and that was all it took, that was 2 or 3 years ago. I had a discussion recently that basically pointed to karma as a bigger deterrent than the law. I would respect the law more if the choice was left to me, but it's not when DRM is in play.

Given an unhindered option, I would gladly pay, for having the choice I would have to consider karma coming back to haunt me rather than having to think of the situation as me exercising my rights to protest against 'the man'.

[Hugh @ May 18th 2007 6:13PM]

I buy all of my music legit (from Bearshare) and it all has DRM protection... This drives me crazy to no end, because my Mp3 player (an old RCA Lyra that I got for a dollar in a Bag of Crap from Woot.com) is not compatible. I just strip the file of the DRM and pop it onto the player. . . I would LOVE to not have to do this step anymore, I'm buying the music legally, and I'm not sharing it with anyone, so why the BS of DRM?

[Anton Borzov @ May 30th 2007 8:05AM]

http://payplay.fm now has a million of drm free indie tracks

[fifiward @ Aug 8th 2007 2:41AM]

No matter DRM or not, I have found a way to free ny iTunes music. NoteBurner helps me to burn DRM music on virtual CD and then they are set free.