the air

For the first time, a major music label, EMI Group, has begun offering DRM-free music across its entire library and available through iTunes. The only downside to this move is the fact that you will have to pay US$1.29 for the DRM free versions. Should you wish to pay less, you may still purchase tracks at $0.99, but they will be hampered by DRM. Although I do not see this move countering piracy significantly because of price, I do expect more people to migrate to iTunes.

Essentially, this allows you to purchase EMI music from iTunes and use your own digital music player. You still will not be able to synchronize any music device, other than the Apple branded music players, with iTunes. However, you can buy music through iTunes and use your current software to upload music to your audio player. The biggest question is whether the other major labels will follow suit. I expect them to follow a similar path, perhaps cautiously and to test the waters.

The main obstacle here will be the price of the new DRM-free songs. Since both Apple and EMI have agreed to a higher price structure, there won’t necessarily be a dip in piracy. In fact, what these companies will see is the fact that most consumers who purchase music will probably opt for the DRM-free version and continue to solidify iTunes market share. In a way, I think this is a great move for Apple because it now allows them to cater to consumers who are unwilling to purchase an iPod. Additionally, the iTunes brand itself can now become a self-sustained business unit without depending on iPod sales. Could we see the beginning of iTunes connecting to other non-Apple branded products? I highly doubt that, but now Apple does have a marketing tool to say that you can buy your music from one store and take it across a multitude of products.

Thankfully, EMI Group has opted for the AAC standard and not some other bogus standard. As more stores are authorized to resell DRM-free music, you can expect formats to be in WMA and MP3, or even other formats. In my opinion, I really don’t care whether it is in AAC or MP3 since most audio players on the market can handle both formats. The only difference is that AAC is something that Apple pushes in its digital audio players. By allowing the end consumer more flexibility, the EMI Group and Apple have opened doors to a brighter future where more people may be inclined to purchase their music rather than download them illegally. Hopefully both parties agree on the fact that prices must fall considerably before anyone is willing to ditch free music.

1 Comment » | Random Post