Play.com Starts Selling Downloads
By Christopher Nickson
February 15, 2008
The company has inked a deal with EMI and says more majors coming later.
So yes, there’s yet another entrant in the music download market – it’s reaching the point where it’s becoming uncomfortably crowded these days.
The new kid on the block is online retailer Play.com, which might well have added the service to keep up with its rival Amazon. It’s inked a deal with giant label EMI to make track available for download without any digital rights management (DRM), according to the BBC.
Apple’s iTunes has EMI back-catalogue material available DRM-free, but the vast majority of its offerings are still covered by DRM.
Play.com has said it will offer individual tracks for around $1.30 and full albums for approximately $10, making it a cheaper UK option than iTunes. It expects to have deals in place with other major labels by the middle of the year.