Warner Music Group (WMG), who are one of the big four record labels, have finally jumped on the increasingly popular DRM-free bandwagon and signed a deal with Amazon to provide their music catalog in MP3 format. This is a significant step for WMG who have until now resisted dropping DRM watermarking of digital music. This development not only strengthens the DRM-free trend, but leaves Sony BMG out in the cold as the only member of the big four who has not gone the DRM-free route.
Amazon who operates the Amazon MP3 Store get a huge boost in taking on Apple’s iTunes Store and strengthens their position in the digital music downloads market. AmazonMP3 is a digital music service that is not only cheaper than the king of digital music downloads (iTunes) but also offer all their music as MP3 files - playable on virtually any MP3 capable device.
Will 2008 be a year where we see the continuing shift to DRM-free music? Let’s hope so. Consumers demand the freedom to playback their purchased music without restrictions and not have to use DRM removal software such as Tunebite 5 to remove DRM for every track. Why not read the great DRM debate for more information on the pros and cons of digital rights management.
Comments
what planet does “drm watermarking” come from?
let’s be clear … all content is being watermarked and drm is a file format that failed because the consumer derives no benefit from the format …