Today Amazon either fired a warning shot across iTunes’s bow, or hit them directly in the mast.
They announced a beta of an Amazon Music store… with DRM-free music, meaning you can (gasp) use it however you want, on whatever player you want!
And…drumroll, please… the songs are *cheaper* than iTunes.
Average iTunes song: 99 cents.
Average Amazon song: 89 cents.
Average iTunes album: $9.99
Average Amazon album: $8.99 (and some are cheaper!)
Non-DRM’d music – maybe someone finally gets it!
I’ll have to try it out when I get home, see if it’s easy to use, and if there are any hidden catches.
This really excites me! Hopefully this is the first part of a little price war. Apple’s dominant position in the music market should be under threat, it shouldn’t be a given.