Apple announced its iTunes Music Store will begin selling some songs for only 69 cents – a 30-cent drop from the standard 99 cents per track. What’s more, the company also said it will begin selling all tracks minus any copy protection.
ITunes is one of the last major online music stores to drop digital rights management. One of iTunes’ most serious competitors – Amazon MP3 – officially launched one year ago without any DRM.
The announcement was made in San Francisco at Macworld by Apple marketing exec Philip Schiller, who also said iTunes is adopting a three-tier pricing strategy – 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29 – depending on which labels the songs come from.
This year’s Macworld was the first in a decade without Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivering the keynote address, with that duty falling upon Schiller. In an open letter posted on Apple.com, Jobs cited a hormone imbalance that had been “robbing” him of needed body proteins, adding that he is in treatment for the ailment.