Amazon.com is prepping an MP3 music download store, offering DRM-free songs from EMI and 12,000 other labels.

The e-tailer will open shop "later this year". In the meantime it is not commenting on pricing.

Bruce Houghton, the author of the WebProNews story, appears to have the inside gen on launch time too. He cites unnamed sources who says that "Amazon is pushing for an 'as soon as possible' launch that is primarily being held up by technology and data issues. June or July would seem a likely launch time frame as Amazon is anxious to beat competitors to the inevitable rush of DRM free product".

Speculation was rife last month that EMI's agreement to sell DRM-free music would tempt Amazon, the internet's top seller of physical format music, into launching its own iTunes rival.

EMI announced its first venture into DRM-free downloads, through a deal with Apple. ®

Related stories

• Nokia joins clones at the Ministry (29 August 2007)
• Universal tests DRM-free future (10 August 2007)
• Amazon throws cash at MySpace-ified music startup (6 August 2007)
• World's biggest label kneecaps iTunes store (2 July 2007)
• Humane Society gets firmer with Amazon's cocks (8 June 2007)
• Amazon ups spending in China (5 June 2007)
• iTunes Plus - plus user details that is (31 May 2007)
• Amazon flows into digital music sales (26 April 2007)
• Inside Amazon's web services (15 April 2007)
• Comment DRM-free music: EMI calls the tune and Apple takes the credit (9 April 2007)
• EMI and Apple say DRM is so yesterday (2 April 2007)
• Updated EMI and Apple ditch DRM (2 April 2007)