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Thursday May 31, 2007
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Ladies and gentlemen, in the above picture, please observe a Zune, an iPod, a Sansa Express, and an iRiver Clix all playing the exact same song...a non-DRM file from iTunes Plus. The Creative Zen Stone also loaded the song successfully, but since it doesn't have a screen, just take my word for it. And how about this: The Zune display looks undeniably better than the iPod display does playing an iTunes song.
DRM-free files from the big boys are a very new thing, but eMusic has been offering up DRM-free MP3s from mostly independent labels for quite awhile now. How do the new iTunes Plus files stack up against eMusic's collection? Funny you should ask, I just wrote an article about it. I'll link as soon as it's posted at PCMag.com
Post by Tim Gideon
Posted By:
Gearlog
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May 31, 2007 3:32 PM
Very slick, but you're right. eMusic has been doing this for a while, and so have sites like Amie Street. Not to mention the up and comers like We7 and Grooveshark. The DRM-Free landscape isn't quite as barren as people seem to have believed.
May 31, 2007 3:52 PM
Steve: I don't think it's that people think the DRM free landscape is barren, just barren of popular tunes that people are willing to pay for. Don't get me wrong, there's a ton of great music on services like Amie St. and eMusic, but there's a reason people flock to iTunes, you've gotta admit.
That all being said, I'm very glad for this development, and glad that Apple held true to its word. Now I can go shopping. ;)
June 25, 2007 9:55 AM
Sure, eMusic has been selling DRM-free songs for a while, but so what? Their catalog doesn't compare to iTunes'. One of the most popular bands in the eMusic catalog is Creedence Clearwater Revival, because it's one of the FEW popular artists in the eMusic catalog. You see?