Napster Abandons DRM With New MP3 Store

In perhaps one of the largest shifts away from DRM we have seen this year, Napster has announced that its entire music catalog is now in the MP3 format. A recent press release revealed that the new a la carte service has a gigantic 6 million MP3 tracks which makes it the largest MP3 collection when compared to other online music services. In contrast, the iTunes Store has over 6 million songs in its catalog but over 60 percent of it is still protected by DRM. With Amazon MP3 and now Napster selling MP3 tracks, it shouldn't be too long before the iTunes Store feels the heat.

The pricing structure at the new Napster web store remains unchanged; single tracks can be purchased for 99 cents and most albums cost $9.95 each. According to Napster, most of the music on offer is encoded at a 256 kbps which ensures high-quality audio playback.

Although the MP3 format is an old audio format that isn't as good as the more modern formats like AAC, or WMA, it continues to be the de-facto standard that all device manufacturers adhere to. It's now common to find an increasing number of electronic gadgets around the home that can at least play MP3s. Consumers will benefit from this latest development by having more choice on where they get their music from and the freedom that DRM-free media brings.