Amazon launches DRM free music store

Amazon has launched its MP3 music store in an effort to try and take back some of the massive market provided by iTunes. However, the online store, which is designed to sit alongside the existing CD collection aims to offer something different.

The problem with MP3 services, such as iTunes and Napster, is the heavy restrictions (DRM) coded in with each track. iTunes music can only be played on iPods, and is delivered in poor quality bitrates.

Amazon’s service delivers all music in the unrestricted MP3 format so consumers can effectively do whatever they like with it. It will play on any player, is not locked down to restrictive applications and whatsmore, comes in glorious 256kbps.

So is it too good to be true? Of course it is.

A quick browse of Amazon MP3 service reveals that all is not well. Trying to get the music industry on board to offer their wares without copy protection is virtually impossible, and Amazon is suffering from a serious lack of stock.

A quick search reveals there is no Beatles (surprise surprise), Clash, Sex Pistols, Madonna or Keane. In fact most of the searches revealed little more than tribute artists and bootlegs.

The reason is the music industry is floundering in uncertainty about letting their music be sold without copy protection, and isn’t letting companies sell their stock without heavy DRM.

To say that the service isn’t any good, however, would be unfair. Some searches pulled up results, and Amazon MP3 should be anyone’s first port of call when buying music.

If the labels get their act together, we might just have an iTunes killer on our hands.