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Steve Jobs Announces (some) DRM-free iTunes
Fjan11 writes "Steve Jobs just announced that starting next month on you can buy higher quality 256Kbps AAC encoded DRM-free versions of iTunes songs for $1.29. Upgrades to songs you've already bought will be available at the $0.30 price difference. Currently EMI is the only publisher participating, accounting for about 20% of the songs available." There's also reports from Reuters and ABC News. The deal excludes the Beatles. You can also read the official press release from Apple if you still think this a late joke; this story confirms earlier speculation.
Just like McDonalds you can Super size for $0.30 more that gives you more than you actually need to consume.
...please refrain from further encouraging slashdotters to give themselves 'a hand'
Yeah but it's not ogg, and the iTunes Music Store is propietary (what's with not being allowed to run your own iTMS????) and ...
It's a good start, but I will not rest until App$e offers music for a fair price, such as $0.0001 per track. Only then will the music truly be free.
Believe me, no encouragement is needed.
"Oh drat these computers, they're so naughty and so complex. I could pinch them."
Marvin the Martian
There, fixed that for you.
Yes, but I recall EMI saying that other companies would be selling DRM free music from EMI's catalogue, not just Apple.
...at this very moment chairs are being lifted into orbit from Redmond.
It makes no sense to offer those downloads in WMA format. Why lock out 80% of the user base? If I was an online music retailer, I would sell mp3s. Apple doesn't care about AAC the way that Microsoft cares about WMA. WMA is Microsoft's attempt to control digital music the way they control operating systems. AAC is the format Apple used so that they could have the DRM that the labels wanted.
Today's announcement if the other labels go for it means that they have failed!!! failed!!!! FAILED!!!!!!!
"by that I mean people who don't sit on slashdot all day wondering why everyone else isn't building robots" DECS
The funny thing is, you stress over how your mix sounds and then I buy the CD and rip it to 128kbps MP3 and play it through my earbuds or my 14 year old stereo and can't hear a damned difference.
Maybe you're the one with the problem.
I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
Wow, there's a new business model here!
1. Strap payload to chair.
2. Place chair near Ballmer.
3. Thwart one of Microsoft's business plans.
3. Profit!
See, no missing step!
Sssh! We can't complain about that pricing, so take your facts elsewhere, OK? ;-)
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
So remember folks... not only is Apple at fault when they don't support open standards like OGG, but they're also at fault when others don't support open standards like AAC!
The Led Zeppelin Box Set contains 44 tracks, and every single one is worth having. In fact, in Indiana, you had to know every measure of every single track to get through high school.
No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame.
Now, if they'll go just one more step, and sell lossless music with no DRM, I'll be one of the first in line to purchase it!!!
I want my 'source' to be as good as I can get it...and I'll transcode to lower qualities myself for poor listening environments like portable players, the car etc. I can do that and have the higher quality sound for my home soundsystem.
So close...so close....
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
I know I won't be happy until I can pick music filled MP3 players off of trees growing in public parks. And even then only if the tree seeds from which these music player trees sprouted weren't produced by the Monsanto Corporation, or planted by illegal immigrants, or prison chain gangs, or anyone in a hat or in any way asociated with any kind of nudity whatsoever.
"Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
OK then let's all give a hand to Jobs. Hand...Jobs, wait, that doesn't work either....
If you really cared, you'd wait until the MP3 players ripened and fell to the ground of their own accord. Picking them from the trees causes untold pain and hardship to the trees in question.