First announced last week , MP3.com founder Michael Robertson launched a new venture Wednesday calledMP3tunes . The online music download service , hop to grab a piece of the market Apple prevail with the iTunes Music Store , is starting out with 300,000 call available for download for US$ 0.88 each or $ 8.88 per album .
Robertson said MP3tunes is mark from other lawful download services because of the control exploiter have over their euphony . Other service , Robertson state , draw user to “ rend ” euphony “ from a braggy tummy that controls what software , reckoner and portable devices they can use . ”
In dividing line , MP3tunes medicine is encode in the ubiquitous MP3 data formatting , at a bit charge per unit of 192Kbps . The euphony uses no Digital Rights Management ( DRM ) protection — it ’s compatible with any computer platform , digital medicine histrion and habitation amusement gadget that can play MP3 files , including iTunes and the iPod . And since there are no DRM restrictions , you could burn off the file cabinet as often as you ’d like to CD .
What ’s more , MP3tunes music is saved in a “ Music Locker ” after you purchase it — so if your data processor crashes , your punishing disk is wiped out , or you switch machines , you may get at your past purchases without having to buy them again .
The religious service ’s catalog is approachable through a Web internet browser , and the interface takes a iTunes Music Store - like coming to presenting its catalogue : Top albums , top creative person and new releases are presented with thumbnail graphic in scrolling horizontal menu on the home page ; sidebars list genre , top albums and top songs as well .
The 300,000 vocal have been made by more than 22,000 artists , accord to MP3tunes . But the want of DRM protection does have one downside — MP3tunes is dwell by independent music artists , so users front for downloadable euphony from major commercial artists will likely have to continue to reckon on services like the iTunes Music Store for now . The absence of major label representation does n’t deter Robertson from hoping for the best from his fledgling help , however .
“ MP3.com started with complete vocal in MP3 data format from promising young artists like Linkin Park and Maroon 5 . Then it expanded to include new artists from major labels , and eventually it grow to be a key promotional vehicle for all the major platter labels . I ’m positive MP3tunes will follow the same path — if euphony buyers come to MP3tunes , then finally forward - thinking labels will too , ” said Robertson in a financial statement .
