Amazon Aims at iTunes With Own Digital Music Store

Low prices, lack of DRM major selling points
By Colleen Barry,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 25, 2007 4:14 PM CDT
Amazon Aims at iTunes With Own Digital Music Store
A window display for Apple Computer Inc.'s online music store iTunes is seen at an Apple store in Santa Clara, Calif., in this file photo taken Wednesday, April 28, 2004. AmazonMP3, beta-launched today, hopes to compete with iTunes by offering music free of inflexible Digital Rights Management restrictions...   (Associated Press)

Amazon threw down the guantlet to iTunes today when it launched its digital music store, Amazon MP3. Roughly 2 million songs are available for 89-99 cents each, with albums going for $5.99 to $9.99. Not only do those prices beat iTunes's, but all the files are DRM-free. Selection is limited, however, by some major labels' refusal to let their music be sold unlocked.

Amazon MP3 gives users free 30-second previews of songs, allows them to purchase music with Amazon's one-click feature, and can add new music directly to preexisting iTunes or Windows Media Player libraries. Consumers have chafed under Digital Rights Management restrictions on what kind of players the songs will work on and how many times they can be copied or burned. (More Amazon.com stories.)

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