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Play.com to open MP3 store in the UK

By Ed Oswald | Published February 13, 2008, 11:35 AM

Retailer Play.com is planning to open its own digital music store which will sell DRM-free tracks for between 65 and 70 pence.

Play.com claims to be the third most popular online retailer in the region, with about seven million users.

Only one major label has signed on so far, EMI. However, Play.com has attracted fairly substantial independent support allowing it to offer about one million tracks. Being that the tracks will be in .MP3 format, iPod users will be able to play tracks as well.

iTunes also offers EMI artists without DRM through its Plus option, however the format used is unprotected AAC -- which not all players support. Additionally, iTunes Plus is quite far behind Amazon's DRM-free store, which has deals with all four major labels.

In the Store, called PlayDigital, the average price of a song is around 70 pence, or $1.37 USD. Top sellers will be reduced to 65 pence. This total offering is cheaper than that of iTunes, which currently vends tracks at 79 pence.

Albums are offered for £4.95.

Comments

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dn2004
Feb 13, 2008 - 2:33 PM

They have already opened it http://www.play.com/Musi...oad/6-/DigitalHome.html

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Benjamin Linus
Feb 13, 2008 - 12:30 PM

Sorry, for a lossy format, too expensive.

I may consider FLAC at this price, or MP3 at 20p

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Galway
Feb 13, 2008 - 7:03 PM

20p a track, on a 12 track album would make the album £2.40 or $4. This would be unacceptable to the publishers and artists, who would be insane not to offer it direct at this price.

Artists selling to users is the way to go, its the best way to curb piracy and good for the industry.

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Benjamin Linus
Feb 14, 2008 - 3:07 AM

In which case they need to offer lossless codec, so I get it, the SAME qualty as CD, not "Near CD Quality" MP3.

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Galway
Feb 14, 2008 - 1:27 PM edited

They don't NEED to offer a lossless codec.

The point is that the general music lover these days is not driven by HiFi. They buy equipment based on PMPO and not by a class A amplifier. They play their music on portable players, in a lossless format. They want to play music, and if its cheap enough to buy they wont mess about waiting to copy it from illegal sources.

Dont mistake me for not wanting to agree with you, but the vast majority wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

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