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Amazon launches DRM-free "Amazon MP3" music downloads
If you're into DRM-free music, you have a reason to get pretty excited today. As speculated, Amazon has launched the public beta of its new digital music portal called Amazon MP3, which will feature two million songs from 180,000 artists and 20,000 labels, all without the painful and annoying restrictions of DRM. The press release claims that the site, which will include EMI and Universal tracks (take that, Jobs), will make separate songs available for $.89 or $.99, and boasts that all of the "top 100" tracks will be priced at the former, lower amount. Albums will range in cost from $5.99 to $9.99, with the best selling albums coming in at $8.99. Of course, since there's no DRM, users are free to throw the 256Kbps MP3s on any player they like, as well as burn CDs, copy to MiniDisc, and dump to 8-track.
Universal and Rhapsody launch DRM-free partnership "test"
Rhapsody America (the new Real / MTV partnership) wasn't the only thing that Real had up its sleeve today. Hot on the heels of the Universal snubbing of iTunes, and consequent announcement that the company would begin selling music via other outlets, comes today's news that the Rhapsody / Universal Music partnership has officially launched, at least in a limited "test" form, with the aim of selling UMG's catalog of thousands of tracks -- sans DRM -- via the Real Rhapsody service, charging $.89 per song for subscribers and $.99 for non-subscribers. Currently, only a select group of artists are up for grabs, including 50 Cent, Amy Winehouse, The Pussycat Dolls, The Police and Johnny Cash, though the plan is to make Universal's entire catalog available in the future. This announcement makes what we all knew was coming now abundantly clear -- the gloves have come off.
Wal-mart begins selling DRM-free MP3s
The DRM dominos continue to fall with Wal-mart joining the DRM-free for all. Their new MP3 catalog (no AAC player limitations here, folks) includes "thousands of albums and songs" from both EMI and Universal Music Group (presumably, as a trial) at $0.94 per track or $9.22 per album. The new MP3s are encoded at 256kbps versus their usual 128kbps WMA "protected" downloads. So what's the matter Sony BMG and Warner Music, don't you like parties?
Universal to test DRM-free music sales, snubs iTunes
In both shocking (and, frankly, kind of unshocking) news, Universal Music Group (whom we all know as the largest music conglomerate in the world) announced its intent to test DRM-free music through Real's Rhapsody, Wal-Mart, Amazon, even Google -- but not through long time begrudging online retail partner / frenemy Apple's iTunes Plus DRM-free music store. Apparently the restriction free Universal tracks will start popping up on those other music distributors next January, during which time the company intends to closely monitor sales, increases in music piracy, etc. before going all-in; for the time being we've no idea which artists Universal intends to free up or just how much of its total catalogue will be distributed in this little toe-dip of theirs. But one thing we do know: between EMI and Universal, two of the top four music businesses in the world have now announced or begun distributing music without DRM, and there's little we can find fault with about that.[Thanks, somebody]
MusicNet and EMI to offer 1 million DRM-free tunes
Hot on the heels of EMI / Apple's iTunes Plus offerings, and Amazon's DRM-free music store, comes news that the industry media-providing MusicNet service will be making a 1-million-song outlay of EMI and indie tracks to its waiting corporate partners, sans DRM. So what does this mean for us? Well, clearly the DRM-bucking trends that have been put into play are causing some serious ripple effects throughout the industry, and since MusicNet provides content to places like Yahoo! Music Unlimited, HMV Digital, and URGE -- not exactly small potatoes -- it's likely we'll start seeing free-er music popping up all over the place. Don't get too comfortable though, the RIAA will still find ways to make your life hell.[Via TG Daily]
iTunes Plus DRM-free, not free of annoying glitches
iTunes updates always seem to come with some growing pains, and yesterday's release of iTunes Plus and iTunes 7.2 doesn't look like it's any exception. We're hearing reports that the new iTunes Plus "Upgrade My Library" feature doesn't work as expected (when it works at all), that Plus downloads are incredibly slow and frequently time out, and that the preference to always see iTunes Plus tracks when they're available occasionally resets itself. On top of all that, the intrepid Apple sleuths over at TUAW have discovered that while iTunes Plus tracks might be DRM-free, they still contain your name and account information -- which seems like a fair piracy-prevention compromise to us, but has apparently rubbed a few people the wrong way. We're not sure if the various iTunes Plus problems are in iTunes 7.2 itself or just the result of pent-up demand for DRM-free EMI tracks overwhelming Apple's servers, but you can bet that Steve's minions are busy getting iTunes 7.2.1 ready as we speak.
iTunes 7.2 Gallery
%Gallery-3526% If you're stuck at work and can't get away to take a peek at the new iTunes 7.2 update, we've put together this handy gallery of screen shots showing you the new 7.2 features. In iTunes 7.2, you'll find a new link to iTunes Plus in the iTunes Quick Links. Select it and iTunes will prompt you to update preferences (whether to use iTunes plus for your albums whenever possible) and your licensing agreement--that's another agreement on top of the one you had to agree to just to install the program. TUAW's 7.2 gallery is a work in progress. Expect updates throughout the day as the new features come on line.
PayPlay reopens as 'world's largest' MP3 store
In what seems to now be something of a trend, online music retailer PayPlay.fm is following in the footsteps of Amazon and -- to some extent -- Apple, by retooling its store to only include tracks encoded as DRM-free MP3s. And not just a few MP3s, either, but over 1.3 million individual songs priced at 88 cents apiece; though if you think you'll find your favorite boy band or gangsta rapper here, you're sorely mistaken, as even encryption-hatin' EMI isn't contributing any mainstream acts to this all-indie-fest. Still, if you're down with those obscure, struggling artists whom no one has ever heard of, the new PayPlay may be right up your alley. [Via BoingBoing]
SanDisk pulls a 180, applauds Amazon's DRM-free music store
We've seen companies hop the fence on occasion before, but SanDisk is making absolutely sure that we all know that it's seriously changing its tune (ahem) on this one. In a bizarre statement that proudly "applauds Amazon and EMI on the launch of its newfangled unprotected music store," the company goes out of its way to proclaim its "excitement for Amazon's DRM-free music download portal," and moreover, cranks up the contradiction further by stating that the firm is a "consistent advocate of consumer choice that believes this launch is an important step forward." While we try not to read too much into that, there's a pretty stark difference between these adoring comments and the ones just months ago that aimed to "protect content creators and the long-term health of the industry" by utilizing DRM on digital downloads. Regardless, it has become fairly clear that SanDisk probably just goes with the flow and hopes to put blinders on everyone else rather than actually saying what it means, but as of this moment, we're felicitous that SanDisk is seeing the light.[Via Electronista]
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.
Amazon readying DRM-free online music store?
Oh boy, we're sensing an all-out war. Of course, the tables are slanted mighty heavily in favor of Apple, but it sounds like Amazon is up to the challenge of stealing some of the digital download market share that Cupertino currently owns. According to the UK's TimesOnline, Amazon is ready to "to launch an online music store next month," and while music execs never thought they'd see the day, this service too should have "reduced protection against copyright infringement." In short, the (hopefully) forthcoming service will serve up at least some DRM-free tracks as Apple's iTunes already does, and as expected, a vast majority of the free and clear music will come from EMI and various other "independent labels." Interestingly, it was stated that Amazon hoped to have the service live "by next month," but it was still unclear as to whether it would meet that goal. No word on whether this service will attempt to undercut iTMS' $1.29 per DRM-free track, but a little competition never hurt anybody, right?[Via ArsTechnica]
Yahoo Music exec agreeing with Jobs' DRM-free sentiment?
It's not everyday that you see two rivals agreeing on a subject where they become the vast minority in a horde of DRM-enforcing media protectors, but it seems like this parallel universe isn't so far out after all. According to an interview by SiliconValleyWatcher, the head of Yahoo Music (Dave Goldberg) seemed to agree with Steve Jobs that ridding music of DRM was best for sales. The exec even stated that he had "long advocated removing DRM on music," and noted that an internal research study found that sales of DRM-free tunes were greater than those laced in protection. Interestingly, it seems that Mr. Goldberg was aiming his comments at questions regarding the general difficulty for the average consumer to get purchased music "off the PC" and into places like DAPs and vehicles, but insinuated that stripping digital tracks of DRM was at least a reasonable option to a challenge in which he "didn't know the best solution." C'mon Dave, do a bit of fast talking in order to throw DRM to the wind and set a new standard for others to follow, pretty please?[Via Macworld]
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XXV - Warner CEO Bronfman calls Jobs' DRM stance "completely without logic or merit."
While EMI might be giving the concept of DRM-free online music sales a bit of thought, it doesn't sound like Warner Music is digging the idea in the slightest. "We advocate the continued use of DRM," said CEO Edgar Bronfman during the Q&A portion of an earnings conference call on Thursday. "The notion that music does not deserve the same protection as software, film, video games or other intellectual property, simply because there is an unprotected legacy product in the physical world, is completely without logic or merit." Edgar apparently couldn't be troubled to spell out exactly what's illogical by the stance espoused by Steve Jobs in his open letter to the industry, but he did decry Steve's method itself: "Frankly, manifestos in advance of those discussions is counter-productive." Wait, does that mean that you were considering getting rid of DRM, but Jobs ruined it all with a whiny letter? Or do you mean that because of his actions you're going to slap your tracks with even more cumbersome DRM just to teach us what happens when people attempt to dissent? We're so confused.
EMI reportedly contemplating DRM-free music
While it's unclear what role, if any, Steve Jobs' recent manifesto on the subject may have played in the decision, The Wall Street Journal has apparently gotten word that number-three music company EMI is currently in talks with a number of online retailers about the possibility of selling its music as DRM-free MP3s. Exactly which online retailers, however, is unclear, with the Journal (via the Chicago Sun-Times) reporting only that EMI is asking them to submit proposals by Thursday detailing how big an advance payment they'd be willing to offer in exchange for the right to sell their music without DRM. The Journal also added that "several major music companies" have also recently "floated the idea" of doing away with DRM, but none had apparently gone as far as EMI. As the Sun Times points out, EMI has already dipped its toes into DRM-free territory, selling a number of singles without copy-protection for a buck apiece. Should a deal actually come out of this latest development, however, the doors could soon be blown open to cover EMI's entire catalog, including both Duran Duran and Iron Maiden.[Via Slashdot]
