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Amazon MP3 Store to Go Global in 2008

Posted by Soulskill on from the and-in-this-corner dept.

Amazon announced in a press release today their plans to sell DRM-free music worldwide through the Amazon MP3 store beginning later this year. This news is being viewed by some as the latest volley in Amazon's digital music sales war with Apple's iTunes. Since Amazon has completed its plans to offer DRM-free music from all four major record labels (most recently, Sony and Warner), the global availability of the MP3s can only be excellent news for customers.

5 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Linux support by ProteusQ · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Amazon limits the number of tracks you can buy and $$ you can save per download unless you download entire albums using their download software. However, it's only available for Windows and Mac.

    eMusic also requires that you download their application, but they offer a nice GUI-based app for Linux. They even claim that it runs on a 2.2.14 kernel! Their selection isn't as good, and their business model is different (subscription vs. per download), but it's worth taking a look.

    If nothing, email Amazon and ask for a Linux downloader. Mentioning eMusic ought to help get them moving in the right direction.

  2. What could possibly go right? by leehwtsohg · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What could go wrong? How about:
    Music industry starts selling DRM-free mp3, stopping its decline and saving the RIAA for the next clueless battle.

  3. Can't believe it! by Reality+Master+101 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Steve Jobs claimed a while back that he didn't like DRM, and had to do it because of the labels. Now we have Amazon selling true MP3s for all four major labels. So where's Steve?

    Wow, could it be that he really wants DRM to lock people into iTunes and the iPod? Nahhhhh, not our Steve! He'd NEVER do that! Maybe he's just not as crafty as Amazon.

    --
    Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
    1. Re:Can't believe it! by corby · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Now we have Amazon selling true MP3s for all four major labels. So where's Steve?

      Steve is right where he said he would be. For labels such as EMI that have agreed to license DRM-free music to iTunes, Steve is carrying that music under the iTunes Plus label.

      Most of the labels that have started licensing DRM-free music to Amazon are refusing to license it to Apple. This is their big fuck-you to Steve Jobs to try and break the iTunes Store 'monopoly'.

      And unlike everything else the record companies have ever done in the digital space, this has a chance of working. I put off using Amazon for a long time because I didn't want to install their downloader, but once I did I was hooked.

      Amazon is selling music at reasonable prices. Their store is more convenient to use than BitTorrent, and the music is of a consistently higher quality than what I can get off of Pirate Bay.

      Look, ma, I'm paying for all of my music again!

  4. Re:It's about time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Actually you hit the nail on the head, there was an article about how DRM free music would mean the deathnell for the music industry. This year alone as short as it has been I have spent more at amazon.com on DRM free music than I have spent on music in the last 3-4 years.

    It is fast easy and cheap, available 24 hours a day, it is not proprietary. I also find myself buying weird things as well I never ever would have bought in a store. The other night I was having trouble sleeping, usually sounds of rain or something like that would put be to sleep. So I searched all over online for sounds of rain thinking i could put it in a loop or something. I finally after digging and digging for anything free to download, looked to old faithful Amazon, sure enough they had a ton of DRM free MP3's of sounds designed to help you sleep. 89 cents for a 60 minute track of rain with some thunder mixed in, 20 minutes later I was sound asleep.

    Come home from work, hear a song on the radio they tell you what the song was and what the band is, by the time you get around to going to the store where they sell CD's you have forgot, not anymore I come in type it into amazon and now I have it permanently for use on anything I want.