photo credit: gruntzooki
It looks like iTunes is possibly going (completely) DRM-free? Great news for music lovers but whether or not it actually materialises is another thing. There are plenty of alternatives in the marketplace for DRM-free music downloads but according to this BBC article, it looks like Apple (who already sell DRM-free tracks from the EMI label) are about to sign off on a deal with the rest of the big four including Sony, Warner and Universal which would see all DRM copyright restrictions lifted from the iTunes store.
It might also bring about a change in pricing on the iTunes store – more for recent tracks, less for older tracks, but Apple’s pricing is a whole other kettle of fish.
We all knew it was going to come around eventually, right?
Update: TUAW has the details on price changes for 2009.
YAY! Apple is finally beginning to understand what customers want.
If Apple really do implement this I just might buy an iPod, although I’m very happy with my current 16Gb Sony Walkman. Hopefully it will be full 320k MP3, like many tracks on 7Digital and not Amazon’s crappy 256k.
Personally I believe that Apple have caved in to the pressure from the Amazon MP3 store, which launched in th UK recently, having been in operation in America for some time now. If Apple introduce a competitive pricing scheme this could really take of and abolish DRM for good!
More competition in the DRM free music download business could mean lower prices too!
I looked at my credit card and realised the last 5 items I purchased via iTunes cost me $1.29 each. And that was before the new pricing plan.
What recession?