Blog > June 2007 > Promiscuous Digital Music: Not Using Protection Anymore!
Promiscuous Digital Music: Not Using Protection Anymore!
June 15, 2007
EMI Group is considered the world's third-largest music company, and now to stress that, they are launching amped-up high quality digital music without copyright protection software, aka digital rights management (DRM).
One thing you should know about EMI is they are a force to reckon with. They own tons of independent labels and record companies/labels. They signed people like Pink Floyd (Capitol), Frank Sinatra (Capitol), Paul McCartney (Parlaphone/Captiol), Elvis Presley (EMI) and a slough of other huge names.
PassAlong Networks is the bridge in the strategy. They stated on Wednesday that EMI's whole digital catalogue will be available with no DRM on the online music stores it owns, such as fye. The tracks offered also boast higher sound quality than most offered digital music, racking up 320 kbps as opposed to the usual 128 to 192 kbps.
This is a major step for the company, and a milestone as well, as they are the first major record company to sell its digital music without copy-protection embedding. Something most record companies frowned on up until now, because of the piracy and illegal distribution ease. But now copy protection software is turning sour because of its inability to cross over digital media to other digital media software.
For example, if you bought the regular copy-protected music from Apple's online music store, you would be able to play it solely in iTunes and on your iPod, which is something Apple has been against from the birth of their online music store in 2003. Until recently, Apple has been unable to provide DRM-free digital media due to their obligation to comply with record labels' licensing demands.
This brand new super-race of digital music will cost you $1.29 a track on iTunes, and as far as other online music stores, prices are to be announced. There is also talk from EMI that Amazon.com will start carrying the beefed up music later this year, when Amazon is said to be releasing their digital music store.
The revolution for truly free digital media has begun!
— josh
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