2007.06.01

DRM-free music 30% more expensive

In a bold move, EMI and Apple are making music by some EMI artists — including Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Coldplay — available on the iTunes music store free of DRM (Digital Rights Management) controls and at a higher quality of audio encoding (256kbps, AAC).

While this looks and sounds like a move in the right direction, there is a cost increase of 102% 30% over the normal iTunes per-song charge.

Update: I mistakenly applied the DRM-free video price as the DRM-free music price — hence the earlier miscalculation of a 102% increase in price.  The correct increase is 30%.  I have corrected the body and title of this post.   Thanks, Marc, for catching that.

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