EMI debut DRM Free downloads.

Even during the musical part of the audio stream the EMI website was updated with this paragraph. Kind of spoils it really.



Enjoy. Press release here

"EMI Music today announced that it is launching new premium downloads for retail on a global basis, making all of its digital repertoire available at a much higher sound quality than existing downloads and free of digital rights management (DRM) restrictions."

"Consumers who have already purchased standard tracks or albums with DRM will be able to upgrade their digital music for $0.30/€0.30/£0.20 per track."

It appears they are gonna charge more for the singles but leave album prices the same, I assume to up the sales of albums, the maths behind "Complete my album" just got interesting.

"available from EMI artists at twice the sound quality of existing downloads, with their DRM removed, at a price of $1.29/€1.29/£0.99. iTunes will continue to offer consumers the ability to pay $0.99/€0.99/£0.79 for standard sound quality tracks with DRM still applied."

Update: Steve confirms ITMS DRM free EMI, higher fidelity from May. Steve also talks about the Analogue loop-hole.

Are you gonna spend the extra $0.30 so you can avoid re-ripping and removing DRM that way ?

Update:Apples press release here