Yahoo Releases DRM-Free Music Track
Hoping that other music companies will follow its example, Yahoo! has released a $1.99, DRM-free, personalized version of Jessica Simpson's "A Public Affair." While the price of $1.99 is effectively double that of a comparable iTunes Music Store purchase, the Yahoo! track can be played on any MP3-capable music player, which sorta justifies the added cost. The company, regarding the new music track, has said the following:
"Dear digital consumer, even if you're not into Jessica Simpson, and you're not excited about spending $2 for a song, let me tell you, this is a bigger deal than you might think."
Yahoo! has lobbied against DRM for some time now, noting that DRM-less CDs are sold everyday and the DRM technology only serves to lock consumers into one set of products. While nerds like me would love to be able to download music and to use it anywhere, the chances of it happening simply aren't good. The music industry is well-known for trying to squeeze every dollar they can out of every album they sell, so DRM looks like it'll be here to stay for a while. In the meantime, maybe if Yahoo!'s service continues DRM-less purchases, I might have to jump ship.