SEATTLE — Web retailer Amazon.com Inc. launched its much-anticipated digital music store Tuesday with more than 2 million songs, all without copy-protection technology.
The store, Amazon MP3, lets shoppers buy and download individual songs or entire albums using Amazon’s 1-Click button. The tracks can be copied to multiple computers, burned onto CDs and played on most types of PCs and portable devices, including Apple Inc.’s iPod.
Songs cost 89 cents to 99 cents each and albums sell for $5.99 to $9.99.
Amazon’s store faces Apple’s market-leading iTunes, which also has taken steps to offer some songs without so-called digital rights management technology.
EMusic.com Inc., another popular download site, also sells tracks in the DRM-free MP3 format but, like Amazon’s store, doesn’t offer artists on major music labels that still require anti-piracy locks.
DRM technology is designed to block or set limits on copying and CD burning.
Although DRM helps stem illegal copying, it can frustrate consumers by limiting the type of device or number of computers on which they can listen to music. Copy-protected songs sold through iTunes generally won’t play on devices other than the iPod, and iPods won’t play DRM-enabled songs bought at rival music stores.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
