EMI Group has agreed to take the digital locks off songs it sells through the Apple iTunes store, the recording company announced in London Monday.
But there will be a premium price for songs sold without copying restrictions, it said in a joint announcement with Apple.
Songs with digital rights management (DRM) software that prevents copying from one player to another will continue to sell for 99 cents, while those without the DRM software will cost $1.29.
The premium tracks will also be encoded at 256 KBps in the advanced audio coding (AAC) format, an improvement over the current 128 KBps format. Users who already own the older DRM-protected tracks will also be able to upgrade their tracks for an extra 30 cents each.
The move comes after Apple chief executive Steve Jobs called for recording companies to sell songs without copy-protection software.
"This is the next big step forward in the digital music revolution — the movement to completely interoperable DRM-free music," Jobs said at the news conference.
"The right thing to do is to tear down walls that precluded interoperability by going DRM-free and that starts here today."
Jobs said it made no sense to have copyright protection software on downloaded songs and not on CDs.
EMI said almost all of its back catalogue, including material by the Rolling Stones, Norah Jones and Coldplay, will be available under the new deal.
Beatles excluded
However, music by the Beatles continues to be excluded and there was no hint of a deal that would make Beatles songs available for download.
Apple Corps Ltd., which is the Beatles' commercial guardian, has so far declined to allow the Fab Four's music on any internet music services.
There had been speculation ahead of the joint news conference that EMI and Apple would make an announcement regarding the Beatles.
DRM software prevents songs downloaded from the iTunes store being transferred to digital players made by Microsoft, Sony or other makers.
Consumer rights groups have opposed DRM software on downloaded songs because consumers have traditionally had the right to copy songs they have paid for once.
European legislators have also taken steps to try to open up the downloading market.
Some analysts suggest that lifting the software restrictions could boost sales of online music, which currently account for about 10 per cent of global music sales.
Apple's iTunes store will start selling EMI songs in the "premium" format in May and will allow users to upgrade songs they have already bought to the DRM-free format.
Album-length downloads will continue to be the same price whether they have DRM software or not.
Share Tools
FILM REVIEW: Men in Black 3 by Eli Glasner May. 25, 2012 11:40 AM Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back in the action sequel Men in Black 3, a third instalment of a series now 15 years old. Though new addition Josh Brolin manages some amazing mimicry as a younger version of Jones, the story doesn't measure up to the weird and wonderful charms of the original, says film reviewer Eli Glasner.
Top News Headlines
- Everest team unable to bring down Toronto woman's body
- Bad weather has hampered the recovery team that is attempting to bring down the body of a Toronto woman who died trying to climb Mt. Everest. more »
- Attack on Syrian villages deadliest yet, activists say
- More than 90 people have been killed by regime forces in a district of central Syria, with the head of the UN team in the country confirming more than 32 children and 60 adults were killed the attack. more »
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- The estranged partner of a young mother who was stabbed to death along with her parents at their home in Aylmer, Que., has been charged with first-degree murder Friday. more »
- The risks and responsibilities of taking on Mt. Everest
- The deaths of six climbers last weekend on Mt. Everest, with more summits underway this weekend, fuels the debate about the risks and responsibilities of high altitude climbing. more »
Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines
- Modern and traditional art scores at Joyner auction
- Both traditional and modern works fared well at Joyner Waddington's spring art auction in Toronto, with buyers snapping up lots by Group of Seven members as well as more contemporary artists. more »
- Prophetic Cosmopolis premieres at Cannes
- David Cronenberg says he didn't anticipate the Occupy Wall Street movement as he prepared to shoot Cosmopolis, his new film which made its world premiere Friday at the Cannes Film Festival in southern France. more »
- Jennifer Egan's newest story debuts on Twitter
- The latest short story from Pulitzer-winning writer Jennifer Egan is emerging 140 characters at a time via Twitter. more »
- Miller Brittain sketches restored by museum
- Canadian artist and social satirist Miller Brittain's larger than life chalk drawings may once again hang in Saint John. more »
Q Blog
Toni Morrison on her two selves May. 25, 2012 5:57 PM Jian speaks with the celebrated African American author and academic about her two conflicting selves, and her new novel, Home.
CBC Books
Talking about war May. 25, 2012 4:57 PM The public conversation around war has always been complex and thorny. How does Canada's military approach differ from that of other countries? Are we a society of peacekeepers or warriors? These are some of the questions that Noah Richler explores in his new book What We Talk About When We Talk About War.
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- Pope's butler arrested in Vatican leaks scandal
- Everest team unable to bring down Toronto woman's body
- B.C. premier unhappy with disgraced Mountie's transfer
- Tornado touchdown confirmed near Montreal
- Everest victim's husband says family not seeking government help
- The risks and responsibilities of taking on Mt. Everest
- Woman's remains found in bag on Cape Breton river
- Attack on Syrian villages deadliest yet, activists say
