EMI Music launches DRM-Free iTunes downloads in higher-quality
Apple today announced that EMI Music's entire digital catalog of music will be available for purchase DRM-free (without digital rights management) from the iTunes Store worldwide in May.
DRM-free tracks from EMI will be offered at higher quality 256 kbps AAC encoding, resulting in audio quality indistinguishable from the original recording, for just $1.29 per song. In addition, iTunes customers will be able to easily upgrade their entire library of all previously purchased EMI content to the higher quality DRM-free versions for just 30 cents a song, Apple said.
iTunes will continue to offer its entire catalog, currently over five million songs, in the same versions as today -- 128 kbps AAC encoding with DRM -- at the same price of 99 cents per song, alongside DRM-free higher quality versions when available.
"We are going to give iTunes customers a choice -- the current versions of our songs for the same 99 cent price, or new DRM-free versions of the same songs with even higher audio quality and the security of interoperability for just 30 cents more," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We think our customers are going to love this, and we expect to offer more than half of the songs on iTunes in DRM-free versions by the end of this year."
With DRM-free music from the EMI catalog, iTunes customers will have the ability to download tracks from their favorite EMI artists without any usage restrictions that limit the types of devices or number of computers that purchased songs can be played on. DRM-free songs purchased from the iTunes Store will be encoded in AAC at 256 kbps, twice the current bit rate of 128 kbps, and will play on all iPods, Mac or Windows computers, Apple TVs and soon iPhones, as well as many other digital music players.
"EMI and iTunes are once again teaming up to move the digital music industry forward by giving music fans higher quality audio that is virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings, with no usage restrictions on the music they love from their favorite artists," said Eric Nicoli, CEO of EMI Group.
iTunes will also offer customers a simple, one-click option to easily upgrade their entire library of all previously purchased EMI content to the higher quality DRM-free format for 30 cents a song. All EMI music videos will also be available in DRM-free format with no change in price.
Apple's iTunes Store features the world's largest catalog with over five million songs, 350 television shows and over 400 movies. It has sold over two billion songs, 50 million TV shows and over 1.3 million movies, making it the world's most popular online music, TV and movie store.
For a list of popular EMI bands, see this Wikipedia page.
DRM-free tracks from EMI will be offered at higher quality 256 kbps AAC encoding, resulting in audio quality indistinguishable from the original recording, for just $1.29 per song. In addition, iTunes customers will be able to easily upgrade their entire library of all previously purchased EMI content to the higher quality DRM-free versions for just 30 cents a song, Apple said.
iTunes will continue to offer its entire catalog, currently over five million songs, in the same versions as today -- 128 kbps AAC encoding with DRM -- at the same price of 99 cents per song, alongside DRM-free higher quality versions when available.
"We are going to give iTunes customers a choice -- the current versions of our songs for the same 99 cent price, or new DRM-free versions of the same songs with even higher audio quality and the security of interoperability for just 30 cents more," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We think our customers are going to love this, and we expect to offer more than half of the songs on iTunes in DRM-free versions by the end of this year."
With DRM-free music from the EMI catalog, iTunes customers will have the ability to download tracks from their favorite EMI artists without any usage restrictions that limit the types of devices or number of computers that purchased songs can be played on. DRM-free songs purchased from the iTunes Store will be encoded in AAC at 256 kbps, twice the current bit rate of 128 kbps, and will play on all iPods, Mac or Windows computers, Apple TVs and soon iPhones, as well as many other digital music players.
"EMI and iTunes are once again teaming up to move the digital music industry forward by giving music fans higher quality audio that is virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings, with no usage restrictions on the music they love from their favorite artists," said Eric Nicoli, CEO of EMI Group.
iTunes will also offer customers a simple, one-click option to easily upgrade their entire library of all previously purchased EMI content to the higher quality DRM-free format for 30 cents a song. All EMI music videos will also be available in DRM-free format with no change in price.
Apple's iTunes Store features the world's largest catalog with over five million songs, 350 television shows and over 400 movies. It has sold over two billion songs, 50 million TV shows and over 1.3 million movies, making it the world's most popular online music, TV and movie store.
For a list of popular EMI bands, see this Wikipedia page.
Comments
After a suitable period of denial expect the other majors to fall in line. This is a realistic workable model.
It sucks though they now offer it for 1.29. Seems Steve Jobs couldn't keep it at 0.99 because that is what he wanted all along! It would be really great if the DRM free songs didn't complement the "normal" tunes, but *replaced* them.
Albums cost the same and the encoding rate is doubled. Life in the real world is a negotiation.
It sucks though they now offer it for 1.29. Seems Steve Jobs couldn't keep it at 0.99 because that is what he wanted all along! It would be really great if the DRM free songs didn't complement the "normal" tunes, but *replaced* them.
i think asking for DRM free file at $0.99 is just too much. remember, EMI is taking a HUGE risk by doing this. kudos to EMI for showing some guts to actually try this.
Remember, stripping DRM also has an impact on iTunes sales too. It probably isn't huge but Apple could lose a little bit of market here.
It sucks though they now offer it for 1.29. Seems Steve Jobs couldn't keep it at 0.99 because that is what he wanted all along! It would be really great if the DRM free songs didn't complement the "normal" tunes, but *replaced* them.
Because choice is bad? If no-DRM isn't a compelling choice for $0.30 more then the consumers will have spoken that to the masses non-invasive DRM (unlike Sony's rootkit) is just fine if costs are lower. That and 128 kbps is also fine for most folks.
I'd say the $0.30 is worth it...
Vinea
Ok Steve, I'll buy a video now. But, I hope to see some of my money back in the stock price.
This is only the beginning. Fast your seatbelt's.
Remember, stripping DRM also has an impact on iTunes sales too. It probably isn't huge but Apple could lose a little bit of market here.
iTunes sales or iPod sales? I dunno about either really but eh, it would be interesting to hear why you think that? More torrents based on iTunes downloads? I'd think everything on iTunes is already available...
Vinea
Albums cost the same and the encoding rate is doubled. Life in the real world is a negotiation.
Is the album with DRM or no? Whatever, it's a pretty cool announcement. Steve is a shrewd negotiator. Labels (i'm assuming the others will come on board eventually) get the price hike they want, people get the DRM-free / higher quality option.
It will sure make a lot of people on this board happy! I recall many people saying they'd pay more for a higher quality download.
step two? microsoft
Is the album with DRM or no?
According to the BBC, non-DRM albums will be the same price as DRMd albums. That makes sense as otherwise the albums would end up £2-3 more than buying a CD.
"By contrast albums free of DRM and those with it will be the same price."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6516189.stm
They also did a silly rough $ to £ conversion for the upgrade charge too quoting it as 15p when it's actually 20p, even though 15p would actually be more realistic.
So, the question now is though, how does this affect the goings on in Europe over iTunes being closed off to other systems? Now people can buy their songs through iTunes and put them on any player (that supports AAC). Seems like users now should demand that manufacturers start putting out players that can handle AAC, since Apple came 1/2 way. But they'll probably complain about how the horrible WM format can't be used on an iPod and thus the lawsuits and legislation will continue.
And so they should until the last online store has given up DRM and restricting customer rights.
It sucks though they now offer it for 1.29. Seems Steve Jobs couldn't keep it at 0.99 because that is what he wanted all along! It would be really great if the DRM free songs didn't complement the "normal" tunes, but *replaced* them.
bit*h bit*h nag nag... whatever. they could probably offer you the music for free and on a silver plate and you'd still complain...
Does this mean that countries without an Apple store can purchase from EMI now?
ps.
So what's the audio quality on a music video anyway?
Can people upgrade from audio to video?