Vivendi's Universal Music plans to experiment by selling MP3 music files without copy protection or DRM (Digital Rights Management) for 99 cents each, but they won't be available from Apple's iTunes Music Store.
Although independent labels have been doing this for many years, it's a novel step for the world's biggest music publishing conglomerate, which has artists such as U2, Amy Winehouse, Sting, Stevie Wonder, 50 Cent and Black Eyed Peas.
AP says the DRM-free songs will be available from August 21 to January 31, adding: "Among the online retailers that will be selling the tracks are Amazon.com Inc, Google Inc, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Best Buy Co, RealNetworks Inc's Rhapsody, Transworld, PassAlong Networks and Puretracks Inc, according to Universal." Also:
Universal will be offering the tracks in the MP3 format, but the retailers will be free to sell the tracks in any DRM-free format they choose.
It looks as though Universal is testing the waters to see if it can reduce Apple's control of the legal digital music download market, and thus increase its bargaining power. Last month, Universal refused to renew its contract with Apple, according to The New York Times.
Apple is the largest supplier of DRM-encumbered content: "the iTunes service accounts for 76% of digital music sales," says the NYT story. Also, it "has refused the industry's calls for Apple to license its proprietary copy restriction software to other manufacturers."
EMI has been experimenting with higher-quality but higher-priced DRM-free downloads, which it sells via a wide range of online music stores, including Apple's. And according to EMI, quoted by Bloomberg: "The initial results of DRM-free music are good."
Both EMI and Universal will continue to offer music with DRM, which is essential for subscription services. However, most people don't think it's worth buying DRM-ed tracks. According to an Ars Technica report on EMR's recent survey of UK music consumers (PDF): "68% of those with opinions on the matter say that the only music worth purchasing is that which is DRM-free."
