Apple and EMI deal drops DRM

Apple and EMI have struck a deal to unlock the protected world of digital musical downloads.

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Tracks by stars like Robbie Williams and Lily Allen will now be available to download in high quality - without restrictions - after a groundbreaking deal between EMI and the computer giant Apple.

Until now, the record company would only sell its music online if it had copyright protection. But after today's deal, that protection's been scrapped - although it does mean single tracks will be more expensive. Apple's chief executive called it the next big step forward in the digital music revolution.

It had been a rather melancholy year for the big record companies - despite the constant flow of new music from the likes of Damon Albarn's new venture, The Good, The Bad and the Queen. Though sales of high profit digital music is booming, it hasn't been by enough to make up for a slump in sales of physical CDs...

Then there's the body blow of the likes of 'Enter Shikari' - the youthful musical sensations that have bypassed record companies altogether and gone direct to fans. Time for something drastic from the third biggest record company in the world.

Emi, home to Robbie Williams and the Gorillaz have essentially stripped the digital locks off all their downloaded music - for no extra cost if its an album, or for an extra twenty pence for an individual track.

This is a complete u-turn for how record companies protect against online piracy. They had developed something called digital rights management - or DRM. This digital padlock stopped downloaded music from being copied and used on other computers and iPods. It's currently used by the online music stores, like Napster and Apple's iTunes

And this risky new approach is being driven by the new Mr big in the music industry, the iPodman himself, Steve Jobs of Apple

But other major record companies aren't willing to follow suit just yet, fearing a free for all of people emailing their favourite tracks to their friends. Mr Jobs says that they can already do that with the 90 per cent of music that's currently bought on CD.

It's EMI that's taking the risk on setting free its top bands such as LCD Soundsystem for more open downloads. But again it's the technology company rather than the record company that's forcing the issue.

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