UPDATE: Some tech bloggers have noticed that DRM-free tracks downloaded from iTunes Plus are encoded with the buyer’s user name — just like the old DRM tracks — which would allow Apple to track down people who upload the songs to file-sharing sites. You can still copy the new tracks onto any device, burn them onto a CD, use them for any personal use — which was the point of stripping DRM, right? And if you really want to, the tracks’ user info can easily be stripped by coverting them to mp3 — which someone should tell Bob Lefsetz before he has a stroke.
This morning, Apple launched iTunes Plus, a new version of the music-download service that sells higher-quality tracks without copy protection for the premium price of $1.29. So far, only EMI and a few small indie labels have made a deal with Apple to sell songs without DRM (digital rights management), but since the EMI’s catalog includes Pink Floyd, Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, and Coldplay, it’s a good start. (The Beatles and Radiohead are also on EMI, but neither has agreed to sell music on iTunes). So, how is it?
Well, despite an apoplectic rant from noted industry crank Bob Lefsetz, it works pretty well. To access the DRM-free tunes, you’ll need to download iTunes version 7.2. On the “Store” homepage, click on iTunes Plus to see what’s available. I tried Pink Floyd’s “Money,” which seemed appropriate given the oversized price. When you go to download a track, you will be asked to “enable” iTunes Plus. What may not be clear is that once you enable iTunes Plus, it will display the $1.29 version when one is available, instead of the 99-cent, copy-protected version. You can always disable and enable iTunes Plus, but yes, it’s a bit of a drag that you can’t see both versions at once. Hopefully Apple will clear that up in future updates; otherwise, buying “Money” was a seamless encounter. Steve Jobs recently said he expected more than half of iTunes’ songs to be available on iTunes Plus by the end of the year, which would require at least one other major label to agree to sell non-DRM music. Publicly, the other labels swear they’re commited to DRM, but Jobs may know something we don’t. Quite a few things, most likely.
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- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.
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