Amazon to offer DRM-free downloads from Sony BMG

DRM-free downloads now from all four major labels

11 January 2008 10:21 GMT / By Katie Scott

Amazon has won a major coup after winning the right to sell DRM-free music from Sony BMG's catalogue.

Amazon MP3 will now be the only retailer to offer customers DRM-free MP3 downloads from the four top music labels, as well as more 33,000 independent labels.

DRM-free tracks from Sony will be available later this month, according to a statement from Amazon.

"We are excited to be working with Amazon as they continue to build new markets for digital music", commented Thomas Hesse, president of Global Digital Business & US Sales, for Sony BMG Musical Entertainment. "We are constantly exploring new ways of making our music available to consumers in the physical space, over the Internet and through mobile phones, and this initiative is the newest element of our ongoing campaign to bring our music to fans wherever they happen to be."

Launched in September 2007, Amazon MP3 now offers more than 3.1 million songs from more than 270,000 artists.

Most songs available on Amazon MP3 are priced from 89 cents to 99 cents, with more than one million priced at 89 cents. Most albums are priced from $5.99 to $9.99.

The top 100 bestselling albums are $8.99 or less, unless marked otherwise.

Full tags

Audio, Online, DRM, Amazon, Sony