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iTunes going primarily DRM free?
While Phil hasn't mentioned it in the keynote just yet, it looks like iTunes might be getting a big catalog overhaul, with most major labels finally offering up DRM free tunes. Our tipster mentioned DRM free goodies from Virgin, Sony BMG, American Recording and more ( iTunes Plus has ...
Changes Coming to the iTunes Store
apple.com — SAN FRANCISCO January 6, 2009 Apple today announced several changes to the iTunes Store ( www.itunes.com ). Beginning today, all four major music labels Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group and EMI, along with thousands of independent ... (more) Changes Coming to the iTunes Store
Sources: Apple to expand DRM-free music, new pricing
Sources: Apple to expand DRM-free music, new pricing
news.cnet.com — Apple has cut deals that will finally enable iTunes to offer songs free of copy protection software from the three largest music labels, according to two sources close to the negotiations. In exchange, Apple has agreed to become more flexible on ... (more) Sources: Apple to expand DRM-free music, new pricing
Apple inks deals for all DRM-free iTunes, 3G downloads
appleinsider.com — In what could be a significant victory for its online music store, Apple is believed to have landed agreements not only to remove copy protection from the music of all major labels but to also allow direct music downloads to iPhones over cellular ... (more) Apple inks deals for all DRM-free iTunes, 3G downloads
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Apple: All iTunes Songs to Drop Copy Protection; $.69 Per Tune Prices; Cellular Music Downloads to iPhone
WSJ.com: Tech Trader Daily — ... either 69 cents, 99 cents or $1.29, depending on how desirable they are considered. Apple is likely to sell the “vast majority” of the songs for 69 cents, these people said,” the Journal reports. The Journal says Apple may add tunes from Sony’s (SNE) Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group to music from EMI Group Ltd. that contains no “digital rights management,” or copy-protection code. At the same time, gadget site Engadget is reporting that sources tell the authors that iTunes songs already purchased will be ...

Rockstar ditches Amazon, goes with iTunes for music partnership
Joystiq — ... Apple recently killed DRM throughout iTunes -- that, plus the number of folks using the service regularly, seems to be the winning combination for Rockstar. The switch will take effect when The Lost & The Damned releases on February 17. ...

DVD Jon's DoubleTwist device-management software enters public beta
Engadget HD — ... , and while that's no longer particularly relevant in light of Apple's decision to go DRM-free, we're actually really digging this newly refocused public beta of the doubleTwist app, which promises to seamlessly manage all your devices from a single interface. Think of it as iTunes meets ...

DVD Jon's DoubleTwist device-management software enters public beta
Engadget Mobile — ... , and while that's no longer particularly relevant in light of Apple's decision to go DRM-free, we're actually really digging this newly refocused public beta of the doubleTwist app, which promises to seamlessly manage all your devices from a single interface. Think of it as iTunes meets ...

Palm Pre said to sync up nicely with Apple's iTunes
Engadget Mobile — ... . According to the report, the Pre works "seamlessly" with iTunes on a Mac, with the only notable limitation being that it can't handle older DRM-laced files from the sad, sad days of our past. Even wilder, we're told that the iTunes Store "treats the Pre just as it would an iPod or an iPhone" save for the aforesaid exception, which leads us to wonder how Apple will react. There's little doubt that this factoid sweetens the Pre value proposition for diligent Mac users, but is this functionality kosher with the software's creator? We already saw Tim Cook glance sternly at Palm ...

Related: drm free, DRM-Free
DRM close to extinction on iTunes?
venturebeat.com 1/6/2009 — One of my key predictions for 2009 was that Apple’s iTunes store would go DRM-free. There are always a lot of Apple rumors out there, but I was so confident in this one that I actually made the prediction twice . It turns out that may have ...
Apple To Drop DRM, Hike Prices For Major-Label Songs?
paidcontent.org 1/6/2009 — The hot rumor for the biggest announcement of Apple's final MacWorld Expo today says DRM protection will be dropped from iTunes Store music downloads. EMI already began offering higher-fidelity, DRM-free AAC files back in May 2007, after Steve Jobs ...
iTunes Gets DRM Free, New Prices, Purchase Over 3G [Macworld 2009]
i.gizmodo.com 1/6/2009 — iTunes is going DRM free and breaking their single-price rule with three points: .69 cents, .99 cents, and $1.29. Not surprised, given the pressure from other music stores. The iPhone will allow 3G downloads too. The new prices will come on April ...
The Price Of Going DRM-Free: Apple’s Hidden $1.8 Billion Music Tax
techcrunch.com 1/6/2009 — Nearly two years ago, Steve Jobs published an open letter to the music industry calling for the death of DRM (digital rights management). He convinced EMI to ditch DRM back in April, 2007, but the three other major music labels held out. Until ...
iTunes finally goes DRM-free … done anyone really care?
blogs.zdnet.com 1/7/2009 — News from the Macworld Expo - iTunes is in the final stages of shedding DRM, offering some eight million of its 10 million songs in Apple’s iTunes Plus DRM-free format. But does anyone care? Is there anyone who is still concerned about DRM buying ...
Macworld 2009: iTunes now DRM-free, iPhone music purchases over 3G network are a go
tgdaily.com 1/7/2009 — Remember last year when EMI was the only big music label that offered its music on Apple's iTunes free from the dreaded digital rights management (DRM)? It now appears that the remaining three labels have given up trying to build an iTunes rival. ...
Lame: Apple Charging $0.30 Per Song To Ditch DRM
techdirt.com 1/7/2009 — In the initial news about Apple going DRM-free, I saw it reported that Apple would let you convert your existing files to DRM-free. However, what was left out of the reports I saw (though, people in our comments pointed it out) was that Apple wants to ...
iTunes DRM-Stripping Fee Isn't a Tax at All
appscout.com 1/7/2009 — As you probably know by now, Apple has announced some big changes to iTunes —variable pricing, a 100% DRM-free iTunes Music Store, and song purchasing/downloading via 3G. Good stuff, right? Apple also today announced an offer to convert your ...
Apple Fights Nokia with DRM-free MusicPhoneReport v2.0 - latest news, specs, reviews, interviews, and analysis
Apple is not willing to step down from its first place in the podium of online music retailers. It has fought back against Nokia's Comes with Music campaign, with licence-free music offering. The latest offer comes as a result of an agreement with major record labels, and it will mean ...
iTunes goes DRM-free, iPhone gets 3G over-the-air downloadsiPhonic
Yesterday's big Macworld keynote announcement, for music lovers at least, was that of iTunes going DRM free over the next few months. From today, some eight million music tracks on iTunes will be DRM free and of higher download quality,... > >
Apple iTunes DRM Free and iPhone 3G Download @ MacWorld 2009The Daily Mac
At MacWorld 2009 Apple announced a few new changes to iTunes: First, DRM-Free music. All of it within a few months. Second, three prices: $0.69, $0.99, and $1.29. Third, 3G downloads from the iTunes store direct to iPhone 3Gs. Noah brings you the scoop live from San Francisco. More ...
Upgrade iTunes Song to DRM free PossibleSolSie.com
According to Apple spoke person, starting today iTunes users can upgrade their music libraries with a click of a button. For an additional 30 cents per song, users can receive a DRM-free version of their existing tracks at a 256-kbps bit rate. The DRM-free version will be in AAC format (same ...
Apple finally offers DRM-free song downloads for iPhone 3G over 3GUnwired View
With the recently concluded Macworld 2009 keynote, Apple has finally included DRM-free songs in the iTunes Music Store, which now allows song downloads over 3G for the (you guessed it) iPhone 3G. And aside from 3G, songs will still be available for download over Wi-Fi. Songs in the iTunes ...
iTunes Goes DRM Free - Cuts PricesThe Blade by Ron Schenone, MVP
Apple’s iTunes are finally going DRM free as predicted previously by Steve Jobs. iTunes also announced that there will be a 3 pricinf system of $.69 cents, $.99 cents and $1.29 per tune. The features are set to take place on April 1, 2009. According to the iTune article it states that:  ...
Daily Tech: Songs on iTunes Are Now DRM FreeGeekSugar
At Macworld this morning, Apple announced that iTunes songs are now DRM free. Song pricing will also be offered in three tiers instead of just one, $0.99 cents, $0.69 cents, and $1.29. — Gizmodo Keep the free classified provider Craigslist, right at your fingertips with a new iPhone ...
iTunes music to go DRM-free!!!TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home
At the keynote address of the Macworld Expo, Apple announced that iTunes will go DRM-free on 8 million iTunes songs as of today. By the end of the quarter the remaining 2 million songs will be DRM-free, making the entire catalog available without DRM. You can read Macworld’s coverage of ...
iTunes pricing and DRM schemes updated for 2009The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
Phil Schiller today outlined Apple's new pricing scheme for iTunes music , and announced additional music that will be available DRM-free. In April, depending on the label, songs will be available at three price points: 69 cents, 99 cents, and $1.29. Apple says many more songs will be priced ...
iTunes Goes DRM-Free, Changes Pricing SystemThe Inquisitr » Technology
Apple has finally decided to heed the calls and pull all Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection from its iTunes tracks. The decision, announced at the Macworld Expo today , will be fully in effect by the end of March. Already, about 8 million of iTunes’ 10 million tracks are ...
iTunes Goes DRM Free - But No Social Network Just YetReadWriteWeb
At the Macworld 2009 keynote today, Apple announced that by the end of this quarter, all 10 million songs available on iTunes will be DRM free (Digital Rights Management). As of today, 8 million songs will be DRM free, with the other 2 million done by end of Q1 09. This is long overdue, ...
iTunes goes DRM-free, gets price adjustmentsGear Live
In the final announcement of the MacWorld 2009 keynote, Phil Schiller listed off some of the changes coming to the iTunes ecosystem. First and foremost, in our mind, is that iTunes is going completely DRM-free. Starting today, 8 millions songs on the service will be DRM-free, and by the end ...
Apple expands DRM-free music selection [video]Between the Lines
At Macworld 2009 in San Francisco, Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of marketing, announces a new music price plan and an expanded selection of digital rights management-free songs in its iTunes Store. Users will be able to strip their existing DRM-wrapped music of the ...
iTunes Store Goes DRM FreeAppleInsider
While bowing to studio pressure to offer variable pricing on iTunes tracks, Apple has also finally convinced all the big labels to release their music as DRM-free 'iTunes Plus' tracks at the same 99 cents.
@jaredbangs So Apple loves DRM? "By the end of this quarter, all 10 million songs will be DRM free" (via FriendFeed)FriendFeed - dancameron
Dan Cameron posted a message “@jaredbangs So Apple loves DRM? "By the end of this quarter, all 10 million songs will be DRM free"” 20 minutes ago - Comment - Like
Apple confirms iTunes going DRM-freeTechSpot
In a move that is sure to get a lot of attention, Apple made it clear today at Macworld that iTunes was going to see a change in strategy. Primarily, the service will be due for a DRM overhaul, which will be seen by consumers as more and more content being made available without any DRM on the ...
iTunes is DRM-free, folks!Boy Genius Report
Mr. Phil hasn’t announced this yet, but after opening iTunes, we’re now presented with an option to upgrade our library (of UMG music) to DRM-free iTunes Plus status! It looks like it costs $0.30/song to upgrade to iTunes Plus, but this also includes music videos at $0.60/video! ...
News: iTunes goes DRM-free with variable pricing, OTA downloads for iPhoneiLounge | All Things iPod, iPhone, iTunes and beyond
Apple today announced that it has signed agreements with all the major music labels to offer their music in a DRM-free format on the iTunes Store. Like prior iTunes Plus tracks, all music will now be sold in DRM-free, 256kbps AAC format. Starting today, eight million songs are available; all ten ...
BREAKING: Apple iTMS To Go DRM-freeGEARFUSE
Stop the presses! Hold the phone! Did you hear? Apple is getting rid of DRM! Yay! This is so awesome! Know why? Because, ah.... Uh....hmm. Mrrr...rzp? Yeah, nevermind. Nobody buys music anyway and those who do probably don't give a shit about DRM. Big whoop. Apple will most likely announce ...
Apple Makes DRM Deal with Big Three Music Labels, Plus 3G Downloads Coming? [Unconfirmed]Gizmodo
According to CNET sources, Apple has signed deals with Sony BMG , Universal, and Warner to bring flexibly-priced DRM-free music to iTunes while simultaneously introducing music downloads to the iPhone's 3G service. While EMI is already offering DRM-free music on iTunes, they represent only 10% ...
Apple iTunes Store goes '100% DRM-free' - allegedlyThe Register
Schiller keynote makes $1.29 the new black Macworld Expo Take your pick - the iTunes Store is going 100 per cent DRM-free, or Apple is whacking 30 cents onto the price of each song and encouraging you to upgrade your whole iTunes library to ...
Upgrading to a DRM-free iTunes library will cost youCNET News.com
Apple will not only offer new tracks stripped of copy-protection software, it will let you remove DRM from your existing iTunes collection--for 30 cents per song.