Apple and EMI have inked a deal that means that iTunes customers will have the choice of paying a little extra and getting their hands on DRM-free audio.  I've posted my thoughts on this deal and what it means to consumers over on Hardware 2.0. 

Here are a few of the main points:

• The main catch in this deal is that DRM-free music will cost more than the DRMed stuff.  Between 25 and 30 per cent more (25% if you live in the UK, 30% if you live in the US).  Why?  I'm not really sure.  I think that "DRM-free music" is somehow being touted as a value-added benefit, and since the bitrate is higher, it's pretty easy to justify jacking up the price. 
• The clever part to this deal is that Apple and EMI can't lose.  For them, success or failure is a win-win situation.

• First off, they get a ton of publicity, which is always a good thing. 
• Second, it silences DRM critics. 
• The move also silences Apple critics who claim that iTunes is monopolistic and locks out other devices.  Apple is finally unlocking part of the iTunes store to non-Apple devices.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007 at 12:23 and is filed under PC Doctor's Useful Links. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.