EMI and Apple to Offer DRM-Free Music
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Written By Kate Zimmermann | April 2, 2007 | Share This
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Today EMI and Apple announced a breakthrough decision to release EMI’s entire music catalog DRM-free via iTunes. Selling at a $0.30 premium, EMI songs will play on any digital music device and will come with enhanced sound quality.
Steve Jobs first promoted a DRM-free iTunes this past February in an open letter to the music industry. His rant against DRM attracted lots of attention and criticism from the press. During the EMI/Apple press conference, Jobs responded to his earlier critics,
“Some doubted our sincerity to break the iTunes bond between the store and iPod player. Hopefully, people can see that Apple is only concerned with doing the right thing for the customer.” (via IP Democracy)
Apple and EMI are both confident that consumers will be willing to pay higher prices for DRM-free music. Jobs said he expects 50% of all iTunes music to be DRM-free by the end of 2007, while EMI anticipated that digital music will grow to 1/4 of all sales by 2010.
CrunchGear has full coverage of the press call.
Further Reading
- Speculation is in the Air over EMI and Apple (NYTimes.com)
- Steve Jobs Calculus: Dealmaking, dollars means DRM is dead (Between the Lines)
- The Empire of DRM is Falling, EMI First Soldier Down (Startup Meme)
Topics: Apple |