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Sony to offer DRM-free music at 66 cents per track
Sony is attempting to one-up Apple with a new supply of music, offering tracks for their iTunes-competing Dada.net service at a price below what Apple offers. Sony will be offering songs at roughly 66 cents apiece, and sweetening the offer in the eyes of the consumer by providing the tracks without any DRM.
Dada claims that all music they sell will be offered as DRM-free in their entirety, making it simple to transfer them to any type of media player you choose. You wouldn't expect Sony to be a company that endorses or pushes DRM-absent media, regardless of the cost, but clearly something has changed in how big companies are seeing the market.
There are a few fine details that don't make the service quite the iTunes-killer they'd like people to think it is, such as the fact that the discounted price for music only applies to the first 15 songs acquired per month – beyond that, the costs rise. Still, the DRM advantage could be key.
User Comments (7)
Post a comment| KingDingDong on October 7, 2008 12:30 PM | I hate apple, Ive been wating for a better alternative, and here it is. Sony you got a customer!
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| bun-bun on October 7, 2008 12:44 PM | WTF?! Sony is the reason all the gamers (including myself) are crying over DRM... and now this... I don't get it.
I still hate you sony.
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| thejedislayer on October 7, 2008 7:45 PM | At least they're making a step in the "right" direction. If people can't pay up 66 cents for free DRM music and continue to pirate, even after this, then they're no good then a common thief. Personally, I will use this site, even if there are a few downers. I've been waiting for a good non-DRM based music website. Amazon.com, for me, cuts it, but this, too, is nice and definitely pursues more companies to switch over to free DRM music based files. This will only increase competition amongst the DRM music free rivals and offer the consumer more for less!
I support!
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| wader2k on October 8, 2008 2:30 AM | Sony is responsible for installing a rootkit on my pc that I have yet to get rid of.....I vowed then and still refuse to buy ANYTHING from them......
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| 9Nails on October 8, 2008 5:14 AM | $0.66? Tempting.
Sony's track record? Unsavory. Two things good come from this: 1, lower prices & 2, DRM-free music. Leaving music quality aside, I couldn't think of two more important topics to music consumers. And this news coming not too far behind the rise then fall of a suggested price hike at iTunes Store. It seems there's still some turmoil in the music market. But they're finding these new ways to connect with consumers - good for them!
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| southall on October 8, 2008 5:44 AM | this scheme is aimed more at the emusic model (which all majors wont license to) than itunes. the $0.66 rates on dada only apply if you pay $9.99 monthly subscription - and you get many less tracks for that price than with an emusic subscription, albeit these are sony tracks.
so from another point of view, sony is merely trying to establish a new higher price point for drm-free subscriptions which is higher than emusic's current $0.20 or so. i guess any seemingly cheaper price is good, but whether to applaud it or not just depends upon where youre looking from and how you like to enjoy your music. to me this seems more like smalltime minor enticements for their own subscription model than anything revolutionary ie the bmg/colombia house music club reborn. this will have little impact on a la carte download models like itunes where people cherry pick. now if sony gave away 15 mp3 drm-free downloads per month and let you choose any album drm-free for your $9.99 per month then maybe they'd have something a bit more exciting!
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| windmill007 on October 8, 2008 11:28 AM | IS this at least 320 VBR quality? I bet not
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