DRM-free Music on iTunes!? It's a sign of the Apocalypse!

Sir Games-A-Lot · Post by **Sir Games-A-Lot** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:40 am

OK so maybe it's not apocalyptic in nature, but unless this is very cruel joke on the part of Apple and EMI, it certainly is pretty earth shattering that we might start to see this type of thing go from graymarket *coughallofmp3.comcough* to part of the mainstream delivery system.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/04/02itunes.html/

http://www.emigroup.com/Press/2007/press18.htm

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:47 am

I think Micro$oft is going to have the Zune drop DRM, too.

Post by **bicostp** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:53 am

Well, Steve said he'd drop the DRM "in a heartbeat" if the record companies would allow it. I think they should put more independant music on iTunes and distribute it DRM-free.

vskid wrote:I think Micro$oft is going to have the Zune drop DRM, too.

When pigs fly! Microsoft LOVES DRM! Just look at Vista!

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:12 am

bicostp wrote:
vskid wrote:I think Micro$oft is going to have the Zune drop DRM, too.
When pigs fly! Microsoft LOVES DRM! Just look at Vista!

Heres a link. They pretty much said they'll think about it, which is a step in the right direction.

lifeisbetterwithketchup · Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:19 pm

Cool, having non-DRM'd music from the iTunes store at 256kbps AAC is gonna be sweet.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:25 pm

Excuse my ignorance. What's DRM?

Digital something music?

Ari · Post by **Ari** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:40 pm

It's digital rights management. Basically, it prevents you from playing your music on anything other than your pc and your ipod, so you can't distribute it to other people.

Now they just need to start distributing the songs in mp3 format, so you can play them on everything, instead of just ipods and psps. Or even better, wav format!

Rekarp · Post by **Rekarp** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:46 pm

needs to be in flac format (lossless codec) but people would complain when they cant fit 3,000 songs on there iPod

johnbjuice · Post by **johnbjuice** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:17 pm

of course, you pay extra...

Seems like a way for iTunes to make more $$$ to me.

Post by **benheck** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:30 pm

You know, it's not even really about giving it to other people, but giving it to yourself as needed.

A CD can be played in anything, music off iTunes, not so much so. On my computer iTunes I only have a few "reactivates" left. Even reinstalling Windows on the same machine clicks one off. And it isn't synced to my laptop, and what about my next computer? These are issues DRM doesn't cover.

Here's my favorite example: I have CD's dating back to the 80's. Now, how many different computers has the average person gone through since then? 20 year old CD's still work, 20 year old computers have been recycled into beer cans by now. Which is more viable?

-Ben

Post by **bicostp** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 6:03 pm

DRM is a lot like a bicycle lock, it keeps honest people honest but anyone who knows how can easily defeat it.

I believe DRM only hurts honest people. Why? People who want to freely copy music will just use a peer to peer file sharing program because they know better. Honest people don't want to steal but instead simply want to use the music they bought on more than X devices, as Ben said.

Music has been swapped over peer to peer services for as long as computers have been connected together. Music piracy is a fact of life. Once something's out on the web, it's out there and you can't delete it all. No matter how much the record company wants to.

*hugs hard drive full of digitized vinyl and CDs*

@ Ben: Doesn't iTunes allow you to "de-authorize" a device?

sgtpepper · Post by **sgtpepper** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:30 pm

bicostp wrote:@ Ben: Doesn't iTunes allow you to "de-authorize" a device?

Yeah it does, just go to Store> Deauthorize Computer...

peedekk · Post by **peedekk** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:00 pm

johnbjuice wrote:of course, you pay extra...

Seems like a way for iTunes to make more $$$ to me.

Thats true for iTunes, but EMI have taken the DRM off there digital music for all online stores to take advantage of, its just that iTunes is doing it first.
So iTunes are the ones that have chosen to double the quality and up the price, EMI have allowed the un-DRM'd tracks.

So i'm looking forward to other online stores selling the EMI tracks in mp3 format (again its iTunes choosing to have it in ACC)

Yay to un-DRM'd music.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:24 am

I find it odd that you guys are so hard on Apple. The whole DRM thing is a double edged sword, and Apple thankfully found the best middle ground. They give you a DRMed music file, that can be moved to 10 different machines and even burned to a CD. It's not like they're like Microsoft where the moto of DRM is "Screw the customer/user, protect the software at all costs."

I'll admit I'd like the DRM to be a little more open or just have iTunes use MP3, if they don't already. I'd rather have MP3s that can be easily more stripped of DRM then AAC, which requires either my iPod, iTunes or QuickTime to play.

And lets face it guys you'll never live in a DRM free market place. Well that would be great you have no means by which to keep people from making mass copies and selling them themselves. You live in a market place where money is the driving force you should at least recognize that they'll have to protect the produce they've invested money and time into.

shmagoogin77 · Post by **shmagoogin77** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 10:23 am

arnt they just killing themselves because now if you buy a song on itunes with out DRM you can post it on the internet and everyone in the world can download it