Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, on Tuesday began selling digital music tracks without copyright protection software, the latest sign that the Internet music market is turning away from digital rights management technology.
The move could also help Wal-Mart better compete with Apple’s iTunes Internet music store, the world’s top digital music vendor, which recently started selling DRM-free tracks.
Wal-Mart said it would begin selling on its web site unprotected MP3 music tracks from major record labels such as Vivendi’s Universal and EMI for $0.99 each. The retailer said it would also continue selling copyright protected music in Microsoft’s WMA-format for $0.88 per track.
The retailer noted that MP3 prices were higher because the tracks could be played on virtually all music players, including Apple’s ubiquitous iPod and Microsoft’s Zune, and there are no restrictions on the number of computers or portable music players to which MP3 tracks could be transferred. In WMA-format, by contrast, tracks cannot be played on an iPod.
"As we consistently strive to help our customers shop smart at Wal-Mart, our new 'DRM-free' MP3 digital tracks give them the ease and flexibility to play music on virtually any device at a great value," said Kevin Swint, Wal-Mart's senior director and divisional manager for digital media.
The use of DRM software has been a contentious issue for the past several years. Record labels have argued it was necessary to prevent rampant Internet music piracy, but consumers have long complained that copyright protection technologies from Apple and Microsoft are not compatible with each other, forcing iPod owners to buy their music only from iTunes.
The trend began to shift in February when Apple’s Steve Jobs called on record labels to abolish DRM because it has done little to prevent Internet music piracy. EMI responded a few months later by allowing Apple to sell unprotected music on its site. Universal two weeks ago said it would let retailers sell its music without DRM software for a limited time.
Digital music accounts for about 15 per cent of U.S. music sales.
Wal-Mart's MP3 catalog includes hundreds of thousands of songs and albums from artists such as The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, KT Tunstall, Amy Winehouse, Maroon 5, George Strait, and Nelly. The retailer said it will continually expand its MP3 catalog with additional mainstream and independent music content.