Wired Magazine reports that the recent announcement by EMI to remove digital copy protection from it’s music files could be a huge blow to Microsoft and their WMA file format.
By releasing songs encoded at 256 Kbps on iTunes EMI gives preference to Apple’s AAC file format (a supe’d up version of the Mp3 format).
EMI’s tracks will be available at the regular 128 Kbps for the standard $1 on iTunes and the new 256 Kbps songs without digital copy protection will be available for $1.30.
I didn’t realize this but apparently most Mp3 players can play AAC files with a simple firmware update.
That’s not necessarily the case for WMA files.
“By providing DRM-free downloads, we aim to address the lack of interoperability which is frustrating for many music fans,” said EMI Group CEO Eric Nicoli in the press release.
Apple’s iTunes Store is the first to receive the new premium downloads, which will be priced at $1.30. Apple will continue to offer DRM-shackled tunes from EMI at the lower rate of 128 Kbps for the usual price of $1. EMI stressed that DRM would remain on music bought under monthly flat-fee-based services such as Rhapsody, Napster and Yahoo Music Unlimited.
It could get interesting this year as 2007 may be the year music lovers see copy protection as a thing of the past. Who knows?
