Amazon.com has launched AmazonMP3, a online music store featuring DRM-free content at an affordable price. The shopping giant has set their sights squarely on Apple’s control over online music retail, and looks to lure away customers with a larger catalog of unprotected content offered at a lower price.
The Amazon MP3 download store features over 2 million DRM-free songs priced from $0.89-$0.99, with many albums set at $8.99. In comparison, Apple only offers DRM-free tunes from EMI artists at a price of $1.29.
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management, which is technology developed to prevent the unauthorized copying and distribution of copyrighted material. Many of the methods used by DRM to subvert potential pirates are seen as violations of fair use, subjecting the customer to undue restrictions on the manner in which they listen to their purchased audio tracks.
By offering DRM-free tracks, it looks like Amazon has formulated an aggressive strategy for wrangling a portion of online music sales away from Apple’s iTunes Music Store. While tracks from AmazonMP3 are advertised as “Play anywhere, DRM-free music downloads”, most iTunes Music Store content is still protected by various restrictions.
Everything about AmazonMP3 sounds great, and this just might be the first store able to convince me to buy music online. While I have longed to purchase music online with ease, I have continued to buy and import CDs due to my contempt for the restrictions of DRM-laden music. Amazon may have just changed the way I buy my music.
Link via 43 Folders, Paul Stamatiou.
