Wal-Mart dumps DRM

Tue Apr 8 2008, 16:58 PM

US retailer Wal-Mart is abandoning DRM for all of the music downloads offered on its online store. The company's new all-MP3 policy will involve its entire library, including tracks from EMI and Universal Music Group. Both companies had previously supplied songs to the DRM-free area of Wal-Mart's web store. Wal-Mart has yet to reach online distribution agreements with Warner Music Group and Sony BMG.

Wal-Mart's decision to rid itself of DRM follows moves by Apple, Amazon.com, MySpace and several other online music retailers that have embraced, or are moving towards, DRM-free downloads. iTunes was the US's biggest music retailer in Jan, having overtaken Wal-Mart's combined physical and digital sales for the first time.