[cash7c3]

You log into the iTunes Store. You buy music. It only plays on your authorized computers. In theory this helps keep illegal distribution of music over the internet down but in reality it is just a hinderance to everyday users that are required to register their iPhones and iPods and computers to play their own files that they legally own.

Apple started catching onto the idea that this whole DRM music thing isn't a concept to be continuing into the future and reached an agreement with the label EMI last May and starting the "iTunes Plus" service allowing purchase of DRM free music from the iTunes store. Since then EMI along with other major labels like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony BMG have started offering their music DRM free via routes other than iTunes like Napster, Amazon, and MySpace music.

While the iTunes store doesn't seem to be doing half bad in sales in the last year Apple needs to make the move to DRM free music across all of its offerings soon as competitors continue to sell music without DRM. If you're going to buy music would you rather have to jump through hoops to play your purchased DRM tracks or just be able to play your music where, when, and how you want with no catches?

The latest reports indicate that Apple is definitely on the path towards DRM free music in the iTunes Store. According to a couple anonymous tips to CNN Apple and at least two of the remaining three labels slinging DRM tracks on iTunes have been in talks on and off for months trying to find an agreement to sell DRM free music in the iTunes store.

Here's hoping to the talks continuing and reaching a nice DRM free conclusion. DRM music is annoying and needs to go the way of dial up. We'd like to know your thoughts on DRM music. Take our poll above!

[via cnet]

[corizzle]

*cough* i don't buy music online, so, this isn't relevant to me personally, but i'm glad that DRM is going away, because the idea of having to register computers seems annoying...

[llescaflownell]

DRM is extremely annoying, after buying an album on iTunes and finding out I couldn't burn it (for personal use of course) I immediately stopped shopping at iTunes. They should definitely get rid of DRM to bring back consumers like me

[wePhone]

When did Apple start selling music int he AppStore?
admin edit hahaha thx

[JAG2621]

Originally Posted by wePhone

When did Apple start selling music int he AppStore?
admin edit hahaha thx

They never have sold music in the appstore, only apps in the APPSTORE. Did you not know that they have an itunes store? You can buy music,movies,podcasts,audiobooks,music videos,tv shows and APPS and in the ITUNES store.

admin answer, I had a typo in the original article he was pointing it out

[FliP76]

The one thing I would love about this would be the ability to download a song via itunes on my phone and actually be able to use it. I dont normally use any service to DL music but when im out and want a song i know is going to be at great quality, i want the option to DL it and keep it. My wife and I were in the hospital for the birth of our son, and she requested a few songs we didn't have on my phone or her ipod. After getting home i removed them from my computer so they wouldn't give me trouble in the future. DRM prevents the ability to properly manage your entire music collection that you have compiled over years from multiple places, and that is completely idiotic.

[reeko]

Originally Posted by FliP76

The one thing I would love about this would be the ability to download a song via itunes on my phone and actually be able to use it. I dont normally use any service to DL music but when im out and want a song i know is going to be at great quality, i want the option to DL it and keep it. My wife and I were in the hospital for the birth of our son, and she requested a few songs we didn't have on my phone or her ipod. After getting home i removed them from my computer so they wouldn't give me trouble in the future. DRM prevents the ability to properly manage your entire music collection that you have compiled over years from multiple places, and that is completely idiotic.

your shouldnt be using your iphone in the hospital! but seriously, jailbreak and get dtunes.

[one1]

People who PAY for music don't care if it is DRM free or not. People who don't, ....do.

[dualcorex]

Ya drm pisses me off. I bought a legal song from itunes a while back and every time i restored my computer's operating system( dam xp) itunes recognized it as another computer. so i did that 5 times and now some songs dont play on my new macbook because i cant have more than 5 authorized computers. way to screw over an honest customer.

[cash7c3]

Originally Posted by dualcorex

Ya drm pisses me off. I bought a legal song from itunes a while back and every time i restored my computer's operating system( dam xp) itunes recognized it as another computer. so i did that 5 times and now some songs dont play on my new macbook because i cant have more than 5 authorized computers. way to screw over an honest customer.

That is the exact problem which I have run into. Then to the removing the DRM and taking the time, energy, and annoyance of making my own music play.

Probably could email apple complain and find some solution, but I haven't tried that I don't like dealing with customer service reps

[WillyDavidK]

Originally Posted by dualcorex

Ya drm pisses me off. I bought a legal song from itunes a while back and every time i restored my computer's operating system( dam xp) itunes recognized it as another computer. so i did that 5 times and now some songs dont play on my new macbook because i cant have more than 5 authorized computers. way to screw over an honest customer.

Just go to Store ->View My Account from within iTunes (or you can click on your account in the upper right corner of the iTunes store if you're already logged in). On the Account info page there will be a section under your payment info called Computer Authorizations that will tell you how many have been authorized. If you hit 5 out of 5 a button will pop up to the right (under the Change Country button) that will let you clear your authorizations. Just use this and you should have your music back.


Anyways, DRM truly is a pain (above is a great example of the headaches it causes) and to be quite honest, it has been especially poorly implemented in iTunes. iTunes plus was a great step in the right direction, however, and shows that they are pushing towards DRM-free bliss. Personally I have distributed 2 albums on iTunes (by different artists, and using different services) and both went up as iTunes plus files. Its really up to the majors to finish the transition, but let's face it, when push comes to shove Apple wants their business, so if a major label insists on DRM Apple isn't likely to kick them out and lose all of their potential business just to complete a transition few people are even aware of.

[huntor]

if youre smart.
you can easily get around the DRM.
i only do it for making ringtones.
im not paying a dollar for 30 secs of a song i already own.

i only buy my music from itunes these days.
and if it wasn't for the ringtones, i wouldn't care at all about the drm.
itunes is cheaper then buying the physical album and i dont have to move. win, win..

[rdwalsh]

First off, much like the post I made about noise.io, if you want it, buy it. I can't stress this enough. it's not just apple making money, its also the muscians (developers even) for their hard work. I don't get why people think they should be able to get everything for free. Start supporting the people who give you the things you enjoy. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you".

Second, Ill agree iTunes DRM is annoying, but it was Apple's way around the whole original P2P Napster issue. Remember those days...?

I do think the music community should be more open to getting music at a decent price. Also being a music producer from time to time I understand there is overhead that needs to be covered, and count on the sales of my product to pay for it. I'm fifty-fifty on this goodbye to DRM. I have no problem paying for music, but I agree if I own it, I should be able to put it whereever I wish, on as many pc's as I wish. Provided I own the machine that I am placing the files. Authorizing is a pain, especially since I own several machines, and I like to have all the machines up-to-date with the same libraries, to which DRM can prevent me from doing from time to time.

But it looks like this is the way things are going, and I am all about corporate progression, so lets see what happens.

[WillyDavidK]

Originally Posted by huntor

if youre smart.
you can easily get around the DRM.
i only do it for making ringtones.
im not paying a dollar for 30 secs of a song i already own.

i only buy my music from itunes these days.
and if it wasn't for the ringtones, i wouldn't care at all about the drm.
itunes is cheaper then buying the physical album and i dont have to move. win, win..

Well if you have a mac you can make a ringtone using garageband and it's integrated wonderfully with iTunes. That doesn't help our poor windows folk tho

Originally Posted by rdwalsh

FIll agree iTunes DRM is annoying, but it was Apple's way around the whole original P2P Napster issue. Remember those days...?

Those days?? P2P is just as alive as it ever was in the Napster (well the free napster) days. It's just not news anymore. And it's not nearly enough to cripple anyone. The only people making money off of music sales are the indies anyways, and fans of an indie band are generally much more dedicated and therefore willing to buy the music, on top of the fact that it is harder to find in the usual P2P places. 95% of major label releases fail anyways, and they did before the p2p was around too. People don't realize that.

I'm not necessarily endorsing music piracy, I'm a musician, recording engineer, and producer myself. But I am saying that people don't realize how inefficient the major labels already are, rarely making actual profit on any of their albums, and it is NOT primarily because of the statistically very small number of users downloading it illegally. DRM makes purchasing music more difficult and less convenient, while pirating music is still very easy. I've actually had to pirate a song before that I already legally bought because I needed to use it elsewhere and was restricted by the DRM.

[acascio05]

pirating music is way to easy for the average person to make them wanna buy through itunes.....the DRM's are soo annoying it keeps me away from buying them i bought one song and had my computer rebooted and lost the license for it and when i sync'd my ipod i couldnt play it and i was like thats the end of buying from itunes......why pay a dollar for the song when i can get it for free with no DRM's at all...