EMI to Release Entire Catalog DRM-free on Amazon.com

[Barefootsies]

Compared most other mainstream/big-music labels, EMI is about as progressive as they come. Their policies, at least recently, are more reflective of independent labels, as EMI has begun the process of liberating their catalog from the clutches of DRM infestation.

The move towards liberalization has been slow but steady. The process began last year when EMI launched several tracks that were DRM free. EMI made an exponentially more substantial move in April, when the music label announced a partnership with Apple that would sell its entire catalog DRM-free on iTunes. When the service goes live (it has yet to do so), the DRM-free music will cost $0.30 more than the standard DRM drone.

Building on last month's news, EMI has announced today a new partnership with Amazon.com, where again the music label's entire catalog will be released DRM-free (to be launched "later this year".) Similar to the proposed availability on iTunes, the tracks will be of higher quality than the typical $0.99 track. And unlike iTunes, the tracks will be sold in MP3 format, assuring the files are playable and transportable to just about any device imaginable.

"Amazon.com is synonymous with a great consumer experience, and they have become an important retail partner of ours," Eric Nicoli, CEO of EMI Group said in today's press release. "I applaud Jeff Bezos and Amazon.com for making this move. Amazon.com?s deep understanding of consumers and vast knowledge of music paves the way for a smooth entry into the digital arena. Their arrival in the digital music market will offer even more consumer choice and will be a big advance in addressing the lack of interoperability which has frustrated many music fans.?

Although short of a powerplay move on the part of EMI and Amazon, the partnership is significant nevertheless. Not because the tracks will be DRM-free, but because their availability will be in MP3 format - something sorely lacking at the iTunes camp. This ups the pressure on iTunes, who's AAC/iPod union has been successful in cornering the market. However the longevity of this philosophy may soon find its back against the wall, as EMI/Amazon's catalog will be compatible with all MP3 players.

http://www.slyck.com/story1471.html

[CaptainHowdy]

That's HUGE ...

[SykkBoy]

Wow, huge news and glad to see at least one label starting to move in this direction

[Barefootsies]

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.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/16/a...3-music-store/

[ucv.karl]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

Not because the tracks will be DRM-free, but because their availability will be in MP3 format - something sorely lacking at the iTunes camp.

Specious nonsense.

It's such a trivial task to rip a CD, I've never understood the point that selling music online means the songs have to have DRM. You sell a CD in a store that doesn't have DRM, what's the difference of selling it online with no DRM. There's a step in reasoning that I don't follow. The first thing you do when you buy a new cd is rip to your computer. So what's the difference in selling a hardcopy vs. a digital copy with/without DRM?

I think the primary motivation is business common sense, not a fundamental 'we disagree with DRM'. Furthermore, they are just using the 'no-DRM' thing to get 0.30 more a song. The fact that you can put the songs on any portable player (and therefore, untethered from itunes/ipod) is a negligible insignication factor.