Cnet’s Greg Sandoval claims to have heard from music industry sources that Apple is involved in discussions about bringing DRM-free music to iTunes, or “open” MP3s songs.
This happens a year after Apple began offering music without DRM from music label EMI. The information claims that Apple is talking with the other three “top” recording companies about bringing the music to iTunes. One of Sandoval’s sources explains that the talks are still preliminary, one of the major labels is close to a final agreement. However, at the moment, nothing has been finalized.
A year after iTunes began offering music without copy protection software from EMI, Apple is in discussions with the other three top recording companies about acquiring “open” MP3s, according to two music industry sources, Sandoval explains.
Apple’s music is locked down by Fairplay. It’s built into Quicktime and is used by the iPhone, iPod, iTunes, and iTunes Store and the App Store. Technically, if this information holds true, all the “open” music that would be available in iTunes would not be locked down to Apple’s devices, like they are now with Fairplay.
If iTunes can successfully acquire the rights to sell and distribute unprotected music from Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony BMG, it would undoubtedly forge an even further stronghold in the digital music industry and have rivals struggling to find a way to compete.
Over the past year the top four contenders in the recording industry have been seen making a shift away from DRM protected content. During this period, music resellers such as Amazon, MySpace Music and Napster have begun selling open-MP3s, and Universal Music is believed to be announcing a licensing agreement with Microsoft to distribute MP3s for the Zune.
Update: After some confusion regarding Cnet’s sources describing MP3 as the format of choice. Sandoval has updated his entry via a comment reponse: “I don’t know whether my sources were just throwing out MP3 as a way to describe unprotected music. I also don’t know whether any deal would include transferring older music to non DRM music. I’ll try to find out. GS”
