OK, let’s look at the title of this post. You probably know iTunes . . . . that leaves DRM, and EMI. Here’s a quick overview: DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. It’s the stuff that keeps you from copying a music track you buy online from, say, iTunes for Rhapsody or the like. You can only use the track on your computer or a player that supports that format. This is why I don’t buy music from iTunes as a rule . . . if I do, I am limited to playing it from my computer or my iPod. That’s fine in most cases, but sometimes I want to play stuff through the Tivo or another player or computer that doesn’t have my main iTunes library – that gets frustrating.
Now, EMI, is a major music provider (label if you will). Think Rolling Stones, Beatles, etc. Pretty mainstream music.
Well, what EMI is going to do is allow iTunes to sell their music DRM free . . . you’ll be able to move it to any player you have. Now, it will be in ACC format (Apple’s proprietary format), but many players support that format. I’m in the MP3 camp (more universal), but it’s a start.
Hopefully this will set a precedent for more labels to offer tracks that aren’t restricted to certain players. One difficult pill to swallow at this point – the tracks are set at $1.29 (not .99). They are twice the quality level, but we’ll see how that price point pans out.
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