Filed under: iTS
7digital launches MP3 store with all 4 major labels
7digital launched an all-MP3 digital music store featuring songs from all four major labels: Sony BMG, Universal, Warner, and EMI. The tracks are DRM-free and encoded at 320kbps.
Currently, the store is available to users in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. 7digital plans to launch stores in the U.S. and Canada in Q4.
The company reached a deal with Sony BMG -- the lone holdout -- bringing the store's catalog to about four million songs. Some music was previously available in Windows Media format, and MP3 "upgrades" for those tracks will be available for free.
Only EMI has offered its catalog for iTunes Plus, Apple's DRM-free offering, along with several smaller indie labels. The labels have had a long-term strategy of pressuring Apple by withholding DRM-free tracks while encouraging other music stores like Amazon MP3 and eMusic.
Tracks available in the 7digital store range from 79p to 99p (≈ $1.41 to $1.77), and albums are £5 (≈ $9) on up. MP3 files play on almost every digital music player made in the last 10 years, including every iPod.
[Via DistortedLoop.]
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jehan said 5:32PM on 9-16-2008
It remains, though, that I'll buy a song for $.99. Hopefully their US price is more competitive with iTunes.
Reply
ericdano said 5:34PM on 9-16-2008
Meh
Reply
Tim said 5:40PM on 9-16-2008
I like the sound of this store. I would probably want to buy the songs at 192kbps, though, because that's about the threshold where I can't tell quality differences. iTunes does batch-convert bitrates/formats, though, right?
They will have to drop the price of songs if they ever want to catch on here, but if most albums are available for $9-$9.99, then it'll probably replace iTunes as my digital music store of choice, as I prefer albums, anyway.
Reply
puppy said 6:01PM on 9-16-2008
Hahahahahahahaha! MP3?? Hahahahahahahaha!
Reply
David Vermillion said 6:17PM on 9-16-2008
Ohh yeah, I really trust the music industry. By not offering Apple DRM free tracks, they're trying to bring down the only entity which has stood up to them. Then they replace it with their own crap stores, which of course will be full of DRM.
Reply
reallycrazyguy said 6:50PM on 9-16-2008
Yes. You can kiss $0.99 songs goodbye if this eventually works to break the iTunes 'monopoly'. Suddenly, all music will become 'better' when it's sold in bundles of 13 songs, with DRM again, for only $14.99 (or 13.99 pounds).
Reply
yonan32 said 9:04PM on 9-16-2008
"Currently, the store is available to users in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. "
what gives? i'm in Indonesia and have been buying songs from 7digital since 2 years ago. do you get some sorta notification that the website's unable to be opened from the US?
Reply
Erin Wade said 6:34AM on 9-17-2008
These things are often presented as if they are a big threat to Apple (though not so much here). But it is my understanding that Apple's business model is designed to make money on hardware, and the ITMS ismeant to provide content to support that model. If that's the case additionalspurces of music - like this - can only help that model.
Reply
Brothercaru said 11:43PM on 9-16-2008
Sounds like a prima facie case of antitrust to me. Brazen, at that.
Reply
Bob Smith said 12:12AM on 9-17-2008
MP3? Call me when you start selling lossless tracks.
Reply
Matthew said 3:18AM on 9-17-2008
I imagine they would be cheaper in the US, as 79p is what we pay for music in iTunes, so I imagine they would cost what an iTunes track costs in the US too.
Reply
Kendal said 4:30AM on 9-17-2008
How is this not anti-competitive / price-fixing/colluding / whatever you want to call it illegal...?
Reply