MP3 Digital Rights Management technology finished?

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Napster is latest online store offering unrestricted songs

May 20, 2008
2 Comments
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Napster has cast even more doubt on the future of Digital Rights Management, by opening the biggest ever DRM-free online MP3 store.

The company is joining the likes of Amazon and eMusic in offering unrestricted MP3s, which can be played on any MP3 or CD player.

The store contains over six million MP3s, each available to buy at 79p.
Napster had previously operated a subscription "all you can eat" service.

Explaining the move, the company's boss Chris Gorog said: "It's great that we have finally gotten here. It is really the beginning of a level playing field, which I think is essential for Napster, but also for the health of the digital music business in general."

The most popular online music store, iTunes, also offer a DRM-free service in addition to their usual formats.

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Comments (2)

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jeffn

May 20, 2008

Slowly the internet allows barriers fall from both ends of the industry. Sites like Napster at one end offering unrestricted files, and sites like sellaband, slicethepie and cherryecho at the other end offering free music by new bands. It's all good

mAttthhheaLy

May 21, 2008

One day, all music will be legally free. The gig scene will flourish and the music "industry" will finally return to just being music. The "genteel arms dealers" (props to Thom Yorke for that one) will go back to dealing arms, and the streets will ring with the laughter of children. The world will be better then.