Virgin Media plan: Unlimited music, no DRM, one monthly fee

Virgin Media is planning to shake up the music business with what many have been longing for -- perhaps a Holy Grail of online music business models: All you can eat downloads, no DRM (keep the tracks as long as you want and play them anywhere), for a single monthly fee.

The service has no name as of yet. Set to launch sometime before the end of the year, Virgin has not announced pricing, either, but is said to be targeting a figure in line with purchasing "a couple of albums a month." $29.99, anyone?

A cheaper plan with a limited number of downloads may also be offered for those with less musical ambition.

The Guardian reports that Universal Music is on board with the plan -- but it is unclear whether it will be available only in the UK, in all of Europe, or in the U.S. as well.

As the linked story notes, the plan is part of a response to a piracy crackdown that's been underway in the UK for the last few months. ISPs (including Virgin itself) are taking steps to shut off the service of suspected copyright infringers (aka people who use too much bandwidth), temporarily or permanently. The UK government also wants to push stronger efforts to keep illegal material off the web, to which this strategy is a direct response.

Is an all-you-can-eat plan that allows for unlimited downloading without DRM really be the answer? It sounds closer to the right solution than anything else I've heard of to date, though some services (like the Zune Pass plan) are starting to get close. Casual music listeners seem totally fine with paying a buck or so for a few tracks a month, but heavy consumers of music still seem to feel like they're being robbed by big music, and rather than pay hundreds of dollars a month for all the songs they want, they're still turning to illegal means to get their music fix. While some have embraced DRM-encumbered services like Rhapsody, they are still largely sitting on the margins due to their limitations and -- let's get real -- their lack of iPod compatibility.

If all the studios get on board with this plan and the price is right, I might even be a convert. If Sir Richard can make it fly in the States, that is.