Amazon Jumps on the DRM-Free Bandwagon
Everyone’s talking about Amazon’s latest press release announcement and I’m no exception. Later this year, Amazon will launch a digital music store “offering millions of songs in the DRM-free MP3 format from more than 12,000 record labels”. It seems like the iTunes Store will have a real competitor for once.
A few questions remain though. How much will each DRM-free MP3 cost? Will there be staggered pricing like there is on iTunes with the DRM and DRM-free songs (99 cents for DRM’d songs, $1.29 for DRM-free songs)? I seem to think there will be a higher price on DRM-free tracks considering this quote from the press release:
[...] said Eric Nicoli, EMI CEO. “They have been an important retail partner of ours, and we are delighted they will be offering consumers EMI’s new premium DRM-free downloads in their new digital music store. [...]
Emphasis being on “premium DRM-free downloads”. I don’t know about you but whenever I see or hear “premium” that translates to expensive. Time will tell.
I’m also wondering what the whole digital music store will be like - completely online based with a small application to receive downloaded files (similar to Unbox) or a more iTunes-like software solution?
Well I don’t really care, there’s always a way to undrm songs bought from iTunes :-)
I think I read that the DRM-free songs will be of higher bitrate, and therefore better than un-DRM’ed songs. Personally, I don’t use iTunes because they songs are of such low bitrate.
Until the major labels offer FLAC files from artists I care about, I can’t see myself purchasing music files online. Its actually a lot better deal and overall package to buy the CD, then you can conveniently convert the entire album into whatever digital formats you want, with no DRM restrictions.
The sound quality and overall package of the music we buy has been going on a downward spiral even since the LP was abandoned for the 8-track, and then the CD, although portability and convenience has inversely increased. Another effect has been the death of the album in favor of the single. All of this is, I think, terrible for the music industry.
I think DRM-free music is a step in the right direction, but really it should have been this way from the beginning. It will be interesting to see how music delivery continues to evolve, as the CD’s days are surely numbered at this point. I hope somehow in the future there will be a renewed mainstream appreciation for the album as opposed to just singles.
Actually there are a bunch of mp3 online shops like bleep.com, boomkat.com, beatport.com with some cool stuff. And DRM free! Especially bleep.com!!
DRM free is the way forward, although online stores are really being slow- PirateBay has been providing DRM free music for ages… and so cheap! :)
Seriously though, unless the music industry stops treating the people that buy CDs as criminals and assuming they want to copy the CD for bad reasons people will continue to get their music from other means. Same goes for films actually, why should the DVD I bought tell me its bad to download films? I know it is, thats why I bought the DVD in the first place.
It’s interesting to note the iTunes DRM free promised in May still has not arrived!
It’s a step forward, but I still won’t buy them since MP3 is a lossy format and Amazon won’t accept Paypal.
I’m a big fan of Amazon - I just wish they’d let me use them (and no, I’m not going to stick my credit card on there)…