The headline may not sound all that astonishing, but the fact is that there are practically no online music stores selling downloadable music without DRM protection. The reason is simple, the large recorrd companies forces them to use DRM. Despite this eMusic has become the next best selling online music store in the USA, in just 18 months. By not integrating any DRM protection with its music it lets the consumers decide what to do with its music, something that many (practically all?) record companies clam would result in losses of millions of dollars through pirated music, an impossible business model.
eMusic has proven that this is not true and has been able to outsell all but the Apple and its iTunes Music Store. But selling music without DRM protection and making good business at the same time should offer an indication to the rest of the music industry that consumers are prapred to pay for music that you can use any way you like. Especially when the prices are a fraction of what other charge for their music, at most 25 cent per song.
Since eMusic defy the record companies demand for DRM protection it mainly supplies indie music where the artist and music comes from independent record companies. Despite this limitation it is the next best selling online music store in the USA and at Ars Technica they’ve taken a closer loo at eMusic and its concept in a very interesting article.
“The one addition that would make the service an absolute out-of-the-ballpark smash would be the inclusion of selected material from the majors, but that looks unlikely to happen until the labels can remove their DRM blinders.”
