EMI Allows DRM-Free Songs on Apple iTunes

Mon Apr 2, 2007 11:18AM EDT

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Big news on the digital music front. A little less than two months after Steve Jobs called on the big music labels to drop copy protection schemes from downloadable music, record label EMI announced this morning that it's agreed to let Apple sell most of its songs (except, unfortunately, those by The Beatles) DRM-free—that is, in a format that will work on any digital music player, including the iPod—via the iTunes Music Store. Not only will the songs be available without copy protection, but they'll also boast better sound quality.

Before jumping into the implications of the deal, I should cover some of the fine print. These new "premium" songs (which will arrive online next month) will be pricier than the existing songs on the iTunes Music Store; $1.29 each, compared to 99 cents for standard iTunes offerings. Also, the copy-protected EMI songs in the iTunes catalog won't be going away; instead, they'll co-exist with the premium versions. The good news, however, is that those who pony up for a complete DRM-free album from EMI will pay the same price as the DRM-encoded version of the same album. Also, if you've already shelled out 99 cents for, say, the latest Coldplay single, you can get the DRM-free version for 30 cents.

News of EMI's press conference touched off a firestorm of speculation over the weekend that albums by The Beatles—one of the last holdouts in the downloadable music market—would finally be available on the iTunes Music Store. But while the Fab Four's music isn't included in the deal, execs for both Apple and EMI say that negotiations are continuing.

So what's it all mean? For consumers like you and me, I think the deal is great news. The major record labels, fearful of losing their cushy margins on $18 music CDs, had to be dragged kick and screaming into the deals with iTunes, Napster, Yahoo! Music and the like—deals in which the labels each made untold millions of dollars. Major kudos to EMI for having the guts to jump into a new—and inevitable—business model, and for actually showing a little trust in music lovers. Oh, and getting better-sounding music, along with the freedom to use it as we see fit, never hurt.

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  • 1 Posted by johnord on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    It's great that EMI is actually thinking ahead of the curve. I hate the fact that the RIAA treats every consumer as a potential criminal for wanting to choice in how they use thier entertainment. They throw such a thin veil though, as it's obvious that record companies sell non-DRM protected material everyday...in the form of CD's. And the whole point of the RIAA is to push people to return to purchasing the whole CD. But we were all sick of buying a $12 CD for two good songs and nine lousy ones. With EMI's latest news, this gives us consumers the choice we've been asking for. My prediction is that these "premium" songs will outsell thier "standard" counterparts within two years. Hopefully, in three years (or hopefully, less), all the labels will follow suit and DRM will be the thing of the past. ...hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

  • 2 Posted by oceanatnight2003 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    That is not the RIAA's agenda. I, for one, fully support DRM being a songwriter. I've made a living as one for 10 years. Without the protection of DRM, it will make the richer songwriters richer and the poorer ones poorer. The irony is, the same thing is happening in our economy. The middle class is getting squeezed. I made a nice living off those B side songs I might add. I can tell you for certain that I've lost 10s of thousands on free downloads through the years. Little does the consumer realize that when they buy an entire album, they are helping to feed an entire line of people (& families) who helped create that album. From the songwriters, to the mixing engineer's, to the producer's who produced it. I'm extremely nervous about EMI's DRM decision. I am a songwriter who's made a living off of those "B side" songs. Lots of people I know who are extremely gifted have had to leave the industry as a result of the illegal downloading. Look what's happening to our record stores? Coconuts, GONE. Tower Records, GONE. Sam Goody's, GONE! Something else they are trying to pass in congress is reducing the mechanical royalty rate by half. If this happens, 100s of thousands of songwriters will all be forced out of this business for good. Call it a double whammy. You might as well pull the brushes out of 100s of thousands painters hands. You want to see the unemployment rate rise in this country? Watch what happens if that passes! {;o) Also, you, the consumer will suffer as well because all the music will sound the same because it will all be coming from the same few people. The moral to my comment is, I hope I write a hit soon or I might as well get my plumbing license! lolol Sorry to all the plumbers. No offense of course! {:o)

  • 3 Posted by gregconti@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    Oceanatnight2003... What are you talking about? The songs already sound the same since such a small number of music/record mega-companies wield almost absolute power over the industry. They dictate what WILL be popular and WHO won't. There are way too many talented musicans, actors, and artists today as it is... far more than in the years past. With all that talent around you'd think we have more variety to choose from and artist's wages should drop and the prices along with it. However this is clearly not the case. The 'power and money people' in the industry wish to keep it that way and have attempted to use technology to 'stack the deck' in their favor. However, so far, it hasn't been working very well as the marketplace continues to change/evolve. There needs to be a new order... a new way of doing business. I think getting rid of DRM is the first step to 'cutting out' all the greedy middle men who are no longer necessary in the distribution channel. I can't wait for the day when those thousands of fresh, talented artists can market their art to consumers directly. Only then will innovation be put on front stage again. I create and play music and can tell you, a truely talented artist will create his/her art regardless of the size of the paycheck... real talent cannot be held in check... it must be expressed. Many truely talented people work for free (they actually have 'regular day jobs'). The size of the paycheck doesn't determine the degree of talent or its proliferation either. BTW, I don't believe any of the inflated estimates of lost revenue given by anyone in the music business. There are too many ways to fudge and too many truely unknowable factors... not to mention questionable motives. I, for one, had quit buying most CDs years ago because of the 'cookie-cutter' blandness of the offerings. What has brought me back to purchasing music again are these fresh indepedent artists who are now marketing their music though their own websites or through places like CDbaby and Snocap.

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