[NEWS] Apple To Grant All Labels DRM-Free Distribution

[MrGuvernment]

Apple finally feeling the pressure and lawsuits the EU was slating to put against them ? Or is this a move to make MS and other companies look bad ?

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| Apple To Grant All Labels DRM-Free Distribution |
| from the you-asked-for-it dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Monday April 30, @19:06 (Music) |
| http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/30/2225246 |
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SexCaptain writes "MacRumors.com reveals a letter circulated by Apple to all producers of content for the iTunes Store, announcing that from May onward they can [0]sell their music at higher quality and free of DRM.
Hopefully this opens the doors for labels like Netwerk. This is a big step in the right direction, although it's unclear exactly what Apple means by 'higher quality,' and there is no mention of price changes.
(Apple charges $0.30 more per song for [1]DRM-free content from EMI and encodes it at 256K.) Quoting from the letter: 'Many of you have reached out to iTunes to find out how you can make your songs available higher quality and DRM-free," Apple wrote in the communication. "Starting next month, iTunes will begin offering higher-quality, DRM-free music and DRM-free music videos to all customers."

Discuss this story at:
http://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/04/30/2225246

Links:
0. http://www.macrumors.com/2007/04/27/apple-notifies-partners-drm-free-music-and-music-videos-soon/
1. http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/02/1258238&tid=141

 

[BladeVenom]

MS doesn't need Apple's help to look bad.

They had PlaysforSure, then they screw everybody, and look stupid by making the Zune incompatible.

 

[eeyrjmr]

The two things that have stopped me from using online purchasing for music ( 1] DRM, 2] too low a bitrate) have both been removed (or plan to be), i say great!!! Apple has got a new customer now

 

[MrGuvernment]

^^ i do hope it is a trand that catches on for these online stores with massive selections and some songs other's just dont have or have the rights to sell.

 

[Spetsnaz Op]

watch them release shitty sounding bitrates only...they say higher quality....well i'll be the judge of that

 

[MrGuvernment]

true, more to it then just the quality levels.

kind of annoying too they want to charge MORE for DRM free, i guess this is why htey said higher quality as they want to make more money where as if they charged for DRM free, but same quality...... people would get pissed.

People dont need over 128 cd quality for audio anyways........ way to milk people more Apple.

 

[HopePoisoned]

Well it's nice that the online stores are getting better.

I've never bought music online and I don't think I ever will, but still.