Sony BMG Dabbles in the DRM-Free World
Tue Jan 8, 9:52 PM GMT
According to InfoWorld, starting Jan. 15 in the U.S., Sony BMG will join the coterie of industry majors to offer downloadable MP3s without DRM (Digital Rights Management) copy prevention, enabling the purchaser to copy all tracks and play them on MP3 players such as Apple’s iPod.
There is a slight catch, however— before downloading can begin, purchasers will have to detach themselves from their mouses long enough to purchase a Platinum MusicPass from an old-fashioned, brick-and-mortar retail store. The Platinum MusicPass at $12.99 gives the purchaser a code required for downloading one of 37 currently available albums. The MusicPass will be available through a number of stores including Target and Best Buy.
Also available will be a $19.99 version that will allow the download of two albums of the same artist. At the moment, there is no single-track download pass available.
In a statement posted by the Associated Press, Thomas Hesse, president of global digital business and U.S. sales at Sony BMG said; “We see MusicPass as a great way to bring digital music to the physical retail space. We believe it will have strong appeal for a broad range of customers, and that it will ultimately expand both the digital and physical markets for music.”
Despite the retail-store-visit and initial-payment requirement, Sony BMG’s tiptoe into the DRM-free download world, joining Universal, EMI, and Warner as well as many smaller, independent labels, may signal the company’s desire to stay relevant in the digital age.
There is a slight catch, however— before downloading can begin, purchasers will have to detach themselves from their mouses long enough to purchase a Platinum MusicPass from an old-fashioned, brick-and-mortar retail store. The Platinum MusicPass at $12.99 gives the purchaser a code required for downloading one of 37 currently available albums. The MusicPass will be available through a number of stores including Target and Best Buy.
Also available will be a $19.99 version that will allow the download of two albums of the same artist. At the moment, there is no single-track download pass available.
In a statement posted by the Associated Press, Thomas Hesse, president of global digital business and U.S. sales at Sony BMG said; “We see MusicPass as a great way to bring digital music to the physical retail space. We believe it will have strong appeal for a broad range of customers, and that it will ultimately expand both the digital and physical markets for music.”
Despite the retail-store-visit and initial-payment requirement, Sony BMG’s tiptoe into the DRM-free download world, joining Universal, EMI, and Warner as well as many smaller, independent labels, may signal the company’s desire to stay relevant in the digital age.