Apple releases extensive iTunes Plus catalog
May 30th 2007
Apple has announced the availability of iTunes Plus--DRM-free music tracks featuring high quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio quality virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings--for just $1.29 per song.
"Our customers are very excited about the freedom and amazing sound quality of iTunes Plus," said His Steveness. "We expect more than half of the songs on iTunes will be offered in iTunes Plus versions by the end of this year."
iTunes Plus is launching with EMI's digital catalog of outstanding recordings, including singles and albums from Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra, Joss Stone, Pink Floyd, John Coltrane and more than a dozen of Paul McCartney's classic albums available on iTunes for the first time. Regular 128-bit iTunes--the majority of tracks available--are, of course, still for sale.
Apple is offering the Single of the Week availability in iTunes Plus format for "free."
Editor's note: And, now, the acid test begins. Will iTunes Plus tracks sell or will DRM-free fail?
What's your take?
