Over at Arstechnica today…
As if DRM needed more of a hint to get its coat and leave, Amazon is set to announce a promotional giveaway of one billion MP3s during next year’s Super Bowl. Billboard was first to note that this announcement signals an all-out offensive on DRM, which is made even more powerful by parallel pressures brought by Wal-Mart. In a bid for more of the digital download space, the brick-and-mortar retailer heavyweight has reportedly given an ultimatum to some of the largest record labels, including Warner Music Group and Sony BMG Music Entertainment, to provide more of their respective music catalogs in MP3 format (that is, without DRM) next year.
Reading on you will learn that both Amazon and Walmart have been making big pushes for DRM-free music. This is a good thing.
I’m already checking out the Amazon Store for songs more than iTunes. Heck, I just found a big pile of Christmas music over there for free! Yes, no charge, free (as in beer), non-DRM’d chunks of Holiday cheer.
Now, if only the TV studios (::cough::NBC::cough::) would figure out that DRM is bad, we might actually get someplace. It did warm the cockles to see NBC evicted from the ITMS. Serves ‘em right. Now I’m hearing good things about Hulu. Anyone try it yet?
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