also @ TechSpot: Windows 7 overtakes Vista among enthusiasts, plus other interesting trends

Subscribe

Newsletter Our Feeds

Receive weekly updates on new articles, news and contests in your mail!

Email address:

Apple

Sony to bring DRM-free music to iTunes?

By Jose Vilches, TechSpot.com
Published: November 10, 2008, 5:41 PM EST
Is Sony is about to go DRM-free on the iTunes Store? Apple blog 9to5mac.com certainly believes so, but provides very little information other than saying they have a “hunch.” EMI is currently the only major label in iTunes Plus, so the addition of Sony BMG would be a major achievement for the company and leave Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group as the remaining Apple holdouts.

Despite Apple's willingness to sell DRM-free music, record labels besides EMI have withheld this ability from the company hoping to reduce Apple’s market share in digital music downloads. Of course, that hasn’t stopped the company in becoming the largest music retailer in the U.S. 9to5 Mac says the deal should happen within the next several weeks or months — leaving a nice wide open window – but if true, the company could announce the new agreement at Macworld San Francisco in January.