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EMI May Remove DRM From Parts of Catalog

Posted by Zonk on from the almost-too-good-to-be-true dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Ars Technica is reporting that EMI may announce on Monday that it will be freeing much of its catalog from the shackles of DRM. The Wall Street Journal, in a subscription-only portion of its site, is saying that that Apple CEO Steve Jobs will be present at the announcement in London and that the music will be sold through the iTunes Store and possibly other online outlets. In early February rumblings were heard that EMI was thinking about ditching DRM, but EMI was unable to entice the likes of Apple, Microsoft, and others. As it turned out, EMI wanted a considerable advance payment to offset what it perceived as a risk: selling DRM-free music online. EMI's position was simple: if they sell music without DRM, then users will find trading it that much easier." There's also rumours of an Apple/Beatles announcement sometime today, perhaps tied into this drm decision.

9 of 161 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Will it play on iPod and Rio? by Khakionion · · Score: 5, Informative

    "Or am i still locked into iTunes iPod combination?"

    DRM is what locks iTunes purchases to the iPod. If you buy non-DRM tracks, they will play on anything capable of reading that format. The iTunes Store sells AAC tracks, so chances are it will work with any modern music player.

    --
    OMG! Wau!
  2. Re:Will it play on iPod and Rio? by Corporate+Troll · · Score: 5, Informative

    If your Rio supports m4a files (assuming the non DRM will be AAC) and presents itself as a disk drive to your operating system, then the answer is yes. Right now you can just select and drag songs in iTunes to any folder and it will simply copy the files. It even does this with protected files. It's a useful feature for backing up.

  3. Not a joke by daveschroeder · · Score: 3, Informative

    Reuters and the Wall Street Journal are already reporting it.

    1. Re:Not a joke by mykdavies · · Score: 4, Informative

      Hot off the EMI website:
      http://www.emigroup.com/Press/2007/press18.htm

      Apple has announced that iTunes will make individual AAC format tracks available from EMI artists at twice the sound quality of existing downloads, with their DRM removed, at a price of $1.29/1.29/£0.99. iTunes will continue to offer consumers the ability to pay $0.99/0.99/£0.79 for standard sound quality tracks with DRM still applied. Complete albums from EMI Music artists purchased on the iTunes Store will automatically be sold at the higher sound quality and DRM-free, with no change in the price. Consumers who have already purchased standard tracks or albums with DRM will be able to upgrade their digital music for $0.30/0.30/£0.20 per track. All EMI music videos will also be available on the iTunes Store DRM-free with no change in price.

      --
      The world has changed and we all have become metal men.
  4. Confirmed! by datafr0g · · Score: 5, Informative

    On EMI's website....

    http://www.emigroup.com/Default.htm

    DRM-free downloads: EMI Music launches DRM-free superior sound quality downloads. From 1pm London time there will be a live audio webcast of this announcement.

    Press Release here: http://www.emigroup.com/Press/2007/press18.htm

    --
    "Who says nothing is impossible? Some people do it every day!" - Alfred E. Neuman
  5. Press release says "entire digital repertoire" by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 3, Informative
    From the press release:

    EMI Group CEO Eric Nicoli today hosted a press conference at EMI's headquarters in London where he announced that EMI Music is launching DRM-free superior quality downloads across its entire digital repertoire and that Apple's iTunes Store will be the first online music store to sell EMI's new downloads.
    ... therefore, not just parts of it.
  6. EMI artists by clickclickdrone · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_musicians_sig ned_to_EMI

    --
    I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
  7. Looks like it *is* true by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 3, Informative

    As I write this, the BBC have a "breaking news" article that appears to confirm that EMI are dropping mandatory DRM.

    Short version: you will be able to buy DRM-free files, which will cost you more, but will also be of higher quality. You will also be able to upgrade existing DRM'd music to the "premium" DRM-free format for a small fee.

    --
    If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
  8. Re:If this is true.... by Lars+T. · · Score: 3, Informative
    (Restored partially parted quote)

    I expect dozens of Apple haters who have been claiming that Steve was lying about Apple's preference for no DRM to man up and apologize here in this thread.

    I said Jobs was hypocritical for arguing against DRM while Apple seems happy to dish DRM out to its customers.
    You said

    Am I mistaken that Jobs was enthusiastic about DRM in the early days?
    --

    Lars T.

    To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck