Too bad practically everybody is commenting about Microsoft Surface, since it's basically the thing of the future. No DRM is really nice though.

Wait? We have to pay more for DRM-free music? Shouldn't it cost? I mean, DRM does cost money. It's like they're selling a product with intentional defects built in at regular price so that they can jack up the price for the "normal" product.

well, everybody may be commenting on the Microsoft Surface as the thing of the future, but the iPhone is the thing of the present... and it's essetially the same thing... NOW.

@quickboy: Um, NO IT'S JUST YOU.

Anyhow... Jesse, that's certainly one way to look at it. The other way, is the real way, namely that in all cases, prices generally reflect an expected return on investment and percieved value. Microsoft has convinced the industry over the years that all consumers REALLY wanted was more flexible DRM, not DRM-Free products... (that'd just be crazy talk) and that more "features" can be sold for MORE money (profit$). Want to burn an extra CD? 15 cent upsell. Want to give a copy to a friend? 40 cent upsell. It helped them set the pricing we've been paying up to now.

If that whole model is effectively a DEADEND (and it is), then a "real price" has to be set, alongside the enhanced value (quality), and all the lost product opportunities (oh dear) need to find some peace in oblivion.

Also, this ONLY applies to singles... which always netted more money than buying a whole album (which still costs exactly the same).

The challenge for everyone now, is to lure the music industry toward this BETTER format by the almighty dollar. See RIAA, this is where the party is. Look out! Awww... suke, suke now.

I'm sorry, but you are telling me you need to update iTunes to play songs not crippled by DRM?

Well that doesn't make sense, because if you rip a CD without DRM it will play.

So why an update? What are they adding / taking away?

P.S. The higher price is to offset the higher bit rate they are offering with the non-drm files.

They couldn't charge more for the non-drm files like they wanted to, so they up the bit rate claiming this is what the extra 30c is for.

I'm willing to be a consumer whore for this. I'll upgrade all of them to avoid a more laborious process - and be able to stream them all to my 360. Hooray! But yes, it's still evil, and I'm still angry. Very angry.

A couple of quick notes :
1) Some DRM free tracks from Emi are already available (at least in my local store).
2) You have to enable the "itunes plus" feature in your itunes account options.
3) I still can't convert my previous purchased tracks for 0.29$ (singles) and 0$ (full albums) like previously stated by apple, at least that's what happened when i've tried with an album i already own.

Regardless of the issue of upgrading or paying more for the increased piracy that will occur, DRM-free is a huge step. I never would've considered buying a DRM "encrusted" track, but would very much consider purchasing one without. Now if Apple would just use OGG or MP3 instead of AAC...

(I'm not saying that AAC is better than MP3/OGG, it's just not a universal format/not as good as OGG).

@alloneword says: "I'm sorry, but you are telling me you need to update iTunes to play songs not crippled by DRM?"

I'm sure you think the store just "works". I'm under the impression that they need to add other features like "preferred purchase format", etc. Remember? Just saying.

Does the iPod plays OGG files ?

Keebler, btw you're not forced to buy tracks from Apple, i guess soon other stores (like amazon) will provide the same drm-free tracks in any format and bitrate they will like, and maybe at different prices. So that's definitely a good thing for me, especially considering niche markets, big ups to Emi.

apple + emi are not dumb. it would be crazy talk for them not to put some sort of fingerprint, watermark, stegonagraphy (SP?) in there so that they can track if that file has gotten out into the wild. I would imagine that if emi or the RIAA are trolling the p2p networks they would be looking to set their lawyers on the owner of said tracks.

I still think that DRM free tracks are a good thing b/c it will allow me to play my music on devices that are capable of playing aac files. that is freaking awesome.

I'm wary of any iTunes updates since 6... When I installed iTunes 7 (PC), it wouldn't recognize my 1G Nano anymore, and it was a nightmare to uninstall to revert back to 6. Apple was ZERO help.

alloneword wrote:
I'm sorry, but you are telling me you need to update iTunes to play songs not crippled by DRM?

No, you need to update iTunes to get into the backroom of the store that is iTunes Plus to get the DRM free music.

Additional, with EMI now changed hands, how long will the DRM free music last, before the new management decides that this deal is not for them?

Just in case I wasn't the only one who couldn't find the upgrade page on the store, http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/iTunesPl... should get you there.

Is it still bloated?

The newest version of iTunes awakens the slumbering beast of DRM-free music, with iTunes Plus support — that being the name of the $1.30-a-track portion of the service.

@NYCRockStar: Hmmm... iTunes 7 has recognized my 1 gig nano from the beginning. But maybe that's because it's a refurb nano. Maybe Apple fixed its insides to notice the new iTunes while they had it.