Amazon.com has announced plans to launch a digital music store offering music downloads without copyright restrictions.Amazon plans to venture into the online music download industry later in 2007, offering users songs from more than 12,000 record labels. The e-commerce music store will offer these songs in MP3 format but without the digital rights management (DRM) software. It would appear that record labels are warming up to offering music downloads without DRM.
The advent of DRM free music downloads on Amazon.com means that when a user searches for and downloads a song, the MP3 format will play on any device including PCs, iPods, Zunes and Zens. Users will also be able to burn the songs on personal CDs.
Further, Amazon announced that they have teamed up with EMI Music to offer songs from their extensive music catalogue, increasing the number of songs available for the user to legally search, browse and download.
The price of this new service has not yet been unveiled. In this deal, Apple is expected to offer DRM-free music at the end of May for $1.29 (65 pence) per song, and DRM protected music for $0.99 (50 pence) per song. Albums will be the same price with or without DRM software.
The concept of offering DRM free downloads is not new. Epic, owned by Sony BMG, teamed up with Yahoo! Music last year to offer a single Jessica Simpson track without DRM. The concept may still be in its early stages but - judging by the recent announcements and collaborations involving the likes of EMI, Apple, Amazon and many more - digital rights management for music downloads could potentially become a thing of the past.
