Yahoo Offers Refund for Frozen Music

For those who are Yahoo Music Unlimited customers, you will probably already know that Yahoo is to close down its DRM validation servers on September 30th. What this means, is that if you need to transfer your downloaded music after this date to another computer, or storage device, then the tracks will become unplayable without a DRM validation key. The good news is that on July 30th, Yahoo announced a concession for customers who find that their DRM'ed music library has gone south. The deal is, it will provide support by either refunding the cost of the purchased tracks, or will issue coupons that can be redeemed on the Rhapsody music service to replace non-working tracks. Yahoo are keeping this deal open until the end of the year.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Readers who regularly scan the digital music blogsphere will know that Microsoft's MSN music store suffered the same fate, and the DRM validation servers would have also closed down if it wasn't for the complaints it received from its many irate customers. Luckily, because of this, Microsoft have kept support open for up to another 3 years.

This highlights the constraints of DRM, and how little control consumers have over tracks they have purchased legally. Yahoo are recommending to its customers that they burn their music to audio CD, but what if you've got hundreds, or even thousands of tracks?

One sure-fire way of quickly removing DRM is to use DRM removal software, such as Tunebite, Noteburner, or one of the other software applications on the market that deal with legally removing DRM copy protection.

Is the DRM coffin finally being nailed shut as we see a trend developing of music services either going DRM-free or closing down?