April 02, 2007
A step in the right direction, but not quite there
Both Apple and EMI are announcing that EMI will begin offering portions of its catalog through iTMS DRM-free.
This is a good start. But it's not enough to get me to become a customer. Why?
Because the files will still be in Apple's proprietary AAC format. This means its compatibility with other players is pretty restricted, and you're still largely stuck with iTunes. The absence of DRM makes this a bit less of an issue, but it's not truly interoperable until you can play it on whatever hardware with whatever software you want.
So I applaud EMI for its actions, but am still waiting for them to take the final step. Ogg, FLAC, and mp3 are perfectly viable formats. Use 'em.
Ya, but ACC to Ogg converters are EVERYWHERE. You know this is just the beginning; it's absolutely in apple's best business interest to have the music be DRM free, AND in a better quality format.
Posted by: Josiah at April 2, 2007 03:04 PM