Apple Now Offers Music Without DRM

Parts of Apple's online music catalog are now on sale without usage restrictions, according to the company's office in Munich.

Starting immediately, Apple's iTunes Plus will sell songs without digital rights management (DRM) controls. This means that the downloaded music can now be played on any music machine, not just the iPod.

But this freedom comes at a price: a song in AAC format at a data rate of 256 kilobits per second costs 1.29 euros ($1.75). People who are happy to stay with the old system will be able to get their songs for 99 cents at 128 kbit/s.

Apple says the first songs available in the new system will come from the EMI music catalog, which includes songs from Coldplay, Norah Jones and Paul McCartney.

Apple customers who have already bought songs from the EMI catalogue can get an upgrade to DRM-free songs for 30 cents a piece.