iTunes Store goes DRM-free

#1 Macworld

Story Poster

Group: MW Bot
Posts: 31,702
Joined: 30-November 07

Posted 06 January 2009 - 10:42 AM

Post your comments for iTunes Store goes DRM-free here

#2 macavenger

Member

Group: Members
Posts: 79
Joined: 05-February 08

Posted 06 January 2009 - 10:49 AM

So what about upgrading your existing music to DRM-free? is that still 30¢/song?

#3 gmcalpin

Member

Group: Members
Posts: 16
Joined: 04-September 07

Posted 06 January 2009 - 10:50 AM

They didn't say, from what I've read. But hopefully they'll stick with 30¢/song.

#4 GregoriusM

Member

Group: Members
Posts: 411
Joined: 29-November 07

Posted 06 January 2009 - 10:52 AM

Ummmmmmmm.... I just launched iTunes and all of the songs in the "Purchased" category are gone.
Huh?

#5 jmincey

Veteran

Group: Members
Posts: 4,271
Joined: 27-August 04

Posted 06 January 2009 - 10:52 AM

Given the continued market dominance of iTunes, I'm surprised that Jobs has chosen to bow to the demands of the record labels for multi-tiered pricing. Granted the labels were holding the DRM card over Jobs, but then when you look at the raw numbers, the iTunes Store didn't seem to suffer much vis-a-vis DRM-free offerings from Amazon et. al.

I wonder if this will further embolden the record labels now that Apple will not seem so invincible in the music arena.

In any event, maybe this particular decision will be win-win for all parties concerned -- consumers included.

Jeff Mincey

#6 jrstirling8

Newbie

Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: 31-December 08

Posted 06 January 2009 - 10:52 AM

Just a quick answer please...what exactly does that mean for the consumer? Thanks!

#7 cphoffman42

Member

Group: Members
Posts: 181
Joined: 20-March 07

Posted 06 January 2009 - 10:55 AM

Was hoping for TV show rentals, but DRM-free music will do, I guess. ;) Would like to know whether upgrading costs anything, though. Also, would like to know if Apple will provide a legitimate way to de-DRM files that I've bought from the store that it no longer sells (iTunes exclusives from a few years ago, etc.) Sure I can get around the DRM myself, but it seems silly at this point.

#8 dbater

Member

Group: Banned
Posts: 166
Joined: 03-September 04

Posted 06 January 2009 - 10:56 AM

30¢ a song for me would be approximately $700 to upgrade....

#9 tony_d

Member

Group: Members
Posts: 513
Joined: 19-January 07

Posted 06 January 2009 - 10:59 AM

Just checked the store and I got a 93 songs that are available to be updated. Wow.

#10 cphoffman42

Member

Group: Members
Posts: 181
Joined: 20-March 07

Posted 06 January 2009 - 10:59 AM

DRM-free music means that you can use it with any player on any computer. So, no more having to worry about only 5 accounts being able to use a file at the same time (a concern for families with multiple computers) or about the day that Apple decides it's tired of being in the music business. Or even just the day that you buy a non-iPod music player and you can no longer sync it through iTunes. Seriously, there's no reason to think the iPod will still have a near monopoly in 2019, but I will probably still want to listen to a lot of the music I've bought over the past few years.

#11 NaOH

Member

Group: Members
Posts: 352
Joined: 04-October 04

Posted 06 January 2009 - 10:59 AM

Jeff Mincey: I think Steve Jobs and Apple aim for the win-win opportunities.
It keeps the record labels happy, and gives customers something.
What I'm curious about is why it took so long to come to an agreement.

#12 NaOH

Member

Group: Members
Posts: 352
Joined: 04-October 04

Posted 06 January 2009 - 11:00 AM

And now I wonder what the Norwegian Ombudsman will have to say about this.

#13 GregoriusM

Member

Group: Members
Posts: 411
Joined: 29-November 07

Posted 06 January 2009 - 11:00 AM

Ummmmmmmmm....... ALL of my music is gone!
I do not have ANY listings in iTunes for music.
I have my podcasts.
I had 1300 songs ripped from CDs and a couple dozen purchased tunes.
Any ideas where they all went all of a sudden?

#14 jclphoto

Member

Group: Members
Posts: 20
Joined: 27-September 06

Posted 06 January 2009 - 11:02 AM

Does this mean iPods will perform a true sync with my Mac? And by this I mean sync goes in both directions (currently iPods only download songs).
Since iPhones can now purchase songs, I would sure hope so.