Wal-Mart has announced that it has started selling music free of any kind of copy-protection or restrictive technology. Wal-Mart now sells DRM-free music from Vivendi’s Universal Music Group and EMI Group Plc. The music will cost 92 cent per song or $9.22 per album, which is slightly less than what Apple charges in its iTunes Music Store. Even though Wal-Mart will not use any kind of DRM (Digital Rights Management) it has chosen to use ther Windows Media Audio Format (.wma) instead of the MP3 format.
Universal is the second major record company to consider dropping DRM, after EMI, and we’re certainly glad things are improving so fast. With Amazon, Wal-Mart and Apple offering DRM-free music the future is certainly looking bright, even though companies like Sony BMG and Warner Music Group are refusing to let go of DRM.
