iTunes Challengers Wal-Mart, MTV, Rhapsody Line Up for Large-Scale Assault

Last week Don Henley told Rock Daily that the forthcoming Eagles album would be sold solely via Wal-Mart stores for its first year after release. Now comes news that Wal-Mart will begin selling DRM-free MP3s (which can be copied and listened to on many kinds of players). Wal-Mart's songs will also be cheaper than iTunes copy-restriction-free tracks: iTunes charges $1.29 per DRM-free song, but Wal-Mart will sell its tunes for 94 cents per track -- which is even better than iTunes' 99 cent price for regular, copy-restricted tracks.

Also today, MTV's digital vendor Urge, RealNetworks (which runs subscription service Rhapsody and -- full disclosure -- does business with RollingStone.com) and Verizon announced they're partnering to form music service Rhapsody America. The service will be selling Universal's DRM-free tracks, and current users of Urge will be able to start using Rhapsody immediately.

In other DRM-free news: in the the U.K., listeners will have the first chance to snatch up DRM-free Rolling Stones albums. According to reports, twenty-four of the band's records on EMI will become available via London's 7digital service at a reduced rate of approximately $11 for the first month before reverting to their regular rate of $16.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

More Song Stories entries »

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