Back in May, Apple jump-started the DRM-free trend when it started selling unprotected songs through iTunes Plus. Copy-protection free tracks from EMI's catalog sold for $1.29 and were encoded at a higher 256kbps quality AAC. Following Apple's lead, Amazon launched its own music store three weeks ago, offering DRM-free tracks from indie labels, EMI and, unlike Apple, Universal priced from 89 cents to 99 cents.
Now, according to Ars Technica, Apple has responded to Amazon's launch with some price cuts of its own. Starting this week, Apple reportedly plans to price all of its iTunes Plus songs at $0.99 apiece (DRMed tracks will also remain at $0.99) and is expanding iTunes Plus to include indie music labels as well. With the recent price drop, however, I have to wonder if upgrading DRMed songs will still be possible, and if so, how much will it cost?