I just found this on TechCrunch about Apple’s new deal with EMI to sell DRM free music files via iTunes. Lots of people have been waiting for this in the wake of Steve Job’s open letter regarding DRM. I’ll be interested in seeing what the reaction of the industry is to this announcement.
At first I thought this might be another April Fool’s Day joke, but it appears to be true according to Apple’s news posting. Files will be available for 30 cents more than regular DRM files, but they will be encoded at a higher rate of 256kbps. This will yield a higher quality sound, but the files will be a bit larger in size.
It seems that DRM will be a thing of the past soon. The RIAA is going to do it’s best to fight this movement, though. Really, what can they do about it when loads of consumers want this and are willing to pay for it? Ultimately, they’ll have to get with the 21st century and find a new way to do business. It’s about time.
This is excellent news for consumers, music and movie fans, and for the future of digital content. HungryFlix.com has been offering movie downloads with no DRM for years now and we really belive that DRM is not a solution. It is rewarding to now see the major studios and Apple agreeing with us. While the additional charge is not ideal, this is a good start.
Hi Evan. This is the wave of the future. I think the extra cost of DRM free tracks is only to get the foot in the door, so to speak. However, we have to remember that the this file is encoded at twice the rate of the old one. That alone might be able to account for increasing the price. Thanks for commenting!