Amazon set to flood digital music market

DRM-free at last?

By Chris Williams • Get more from this author

Posted in Entertainment, 19th December 2006 16:45 GMT

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Amazon looks set to plough into the digital music market next year. The retailer started romancing music labels last week.

We talked to an Amazon spokesman today, who said the company was positive about the "massive growth" in the download market. He confirmed that providing digital music was "definitely an area of interest" for the retailer.

Already the internet's number one destination for physical music sales, the most shocking thing about the news is that it has taken them so long. One explanation being touted is that Amazon will launch DRM-free, which will have required delicate and drawn out negotiations with nervous major record labels.

For Amazon, an empire built on slashing overheads, logic dictates any music store will be extended to include movies, TV shows and games. The FT reported Sunday Amazon is also in talks with Sony to provide movies for transfer to PSP, for example. ®

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