EMI announced today that EMI will start offering DRM-free music. This will be done through a new premium service that will also offer the songs in a higher quality sound quality. The new higher quality DRM-free music will complement EMI’s existing range of standard DRM-protected downloads already available. From today, EMI’s retailers will be offered downloads of tracks and albums in the DRM-free audio format of their choice in a variety of bit rates up to CD quality. EMI is releasing the premium downloads in response to consumer demand for high fidelity digital music for use on home music systems, mobile phones and digital music players. EMI’s new DRM-free products will enable full interoperability of digital music across all devices and platforms.
As reported yesterday, Steve Jobs was on stage when it was announced that Apple’s iTunes Store would be the first to offer EMI’s new premium download offering. Individual songs will come in 256kbps AAC format and will be available at a price of $1.29 USD (€1.29 / £0.99). DRM versions will also be available at current prices. Complete albums will now be offered in the premium format with no change in price. Customers will also have the ability to upgrade existing purchases if they want.
EMI music videos will also be available without DRM.
There was no mention of if/when The Beatles catalog would be launched on iTunes.