AfterDawn: News

7digital sees DRM-free music downloads surge

The music download store 7digital.com is reporting that since the introduction of DRM-free music from the labels Warner and EMI, sales have skyrocketed over 300 percent propelling the site into second place behind Apple iTunes as the UK's biggest digital retailer.

Year on year download sales were up 300 percent for the year ended June 30th 2008, with CEO Ben Drury adding, “High-quality, DRM-free MP3 downloads have really sparked a new wave of digital music take up.”



Drury also notes that the MP3 format offers superior compatibility to DRM-crippled WMA files or Apple's use of AAC and for that reason, many users are moving to the site.

80 percent of 7digital.com’s catalog is now DRM-free, (representing over 3 million songs) leading Drury to add, “It is now clear that MP3 downloads represent the future for digital music. With two of the four major labels now supporting MP3 in the UK, we expect to see the whole market supporting MP3 in the not-too-distant future.”

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 9 Jul 2008 13:20

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• 4 comments

• emugamer

  Still won't appease them. Because as long as torrent trackers and sharing sites exist, the music industry will claim that they sales could have been up by 600%. And they will keep fighting to tighten the IP noose.

  9.7.2008 14:04 #1

• Notcow

  I don't know,I think 7Digital's done complaining for now.
  They're finally open to the fact that DRM sucks.It's unfair for the buyer,and puts the company itself at a very large fall point compared to a provider that doesn't use DRM.
  Crippling music files is a pretty lousy way to get customers,and 7Digital finally realized that DRM is the same thing as consumercide.
  I bought DRM,because you can always rerecord it and negate it yourself.It's the principle of it,the fact that they are attempting to cripple it makes me angry.
  

  Lust,Gluttony,Greed,Sloth,Envy,and Pride...
  Both the 7 Deadly Sins,and most anti-piracy groups.

  9.7.2008 20:06 #2

• iluvendo

  Just shows that the consumer wants DRM free downloads
  

  If it wasnt for bad luck, Id have no luck!
  "The flimsier the product,the higher the price"
  Ferengi 82nd rule of aquisition

  12.7.2008 06:17 #3

• nprfan

  Lossless, we need lossless DRM-free music to buy!

  16.7.2008 01:21 #4