In case you missed it, EMI announced earlier today that it will start to sell music in a DRM-free format. Since the announcement, additional information around the announcement has surfaced.
Gizmodo revealed quite a few details about how the deal came about. Among those are the fact that it was EMI that approached Apple, not the other way around. EMI also revealed that the online music stores can decide in which formats to offer the songs. EMI believes that online sales will grow to amount to about 25 percent of their overall sales by 2010 and that DRM-free music will improve sales.
Meanwhile, Engadget revealed that Microsoft was also in talks with partners to do the same.
At least some of the rejoicing was dispelled by the news that the European Commission is alleging that Apple and a number of record companies are restricting music sales in Europe by forcing consumers to buy music only from the iTunes store in their country. Apple responded that the record companies prevented from offering a pan-European store.
Lastly, iTunes will start offering EMI’s DRM-free music in May.