Wal-Mart today announced the launch of DRM-free MP3 music downloads, now available online at www.walmart.com.
At 94-cents per track and $9.22 per album, the new MP3 digital format delivers value, convenience and the ability for customers to play music on nearly any device, including Apple iPod and iPhone portable media players. Wal-Mart is one of the first major retailers to offer MP3 digital tracks with music content from major record labels such as Universal and EMI Music.
“As we consistently strive to help our customers shop smart at Wal-Mart, our new ‘DRM-free’ MP3 digital tracks give them the ease and flexibility to play music on virtually any device at a great value,” said Kevin Swint, Wal-Mart’s senior director and divisional manager for digital media, in the press release. “Also, we’re excited to launch our MP3 catalog with major record labels such as Universal and EMI Music that includes music from popular artists like The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, KT Tunstall, Amy Winehouse, Maroon 5, George Strait and Nelly.”
Wal-Mart’s new MP3 music catalog includes hundreds of thousands of songs and albums, and will be continually expanded with additional mainstream and independent music content.
Wal-Mart will continue to offer its existing WMA-format music downloads. Customers may select the option of MP3-format downloads at 256 kbps for $0.94/track and/or WMA-format downloads at 128 kbps for $0.88/track.
We love it when a plan comes together! Steve Jobs has changed the world… again.
A side effect of this whole Steve Jobs-propelled DRM-free shift is that Microsoft’s WMA format and DRM will be sidelined even further than it is already and ultimately limited to the “cheap low-quality” format which is perfectly apt given its corporate parent.
I think we can now safely say we have entered the “how the hell do we stop iTunes” phase – the shift from denial to pulling out all stops was quite rapid indeed.
Also love the double discount for WMA – dear customer, you really, really prefer this choice don’t you?
How the worm turned!
I just went to wal-fart to look at these new .mp3 files they are selling.
They told me I can’t with a Mac.
“We’re sorry, your operating system is incompatible. To provide the best download experience, we can no longer support Windows 98, ME or NT. Please visit again after you upgrade to Windows 2000 or XP. Visit our Help section for complete system requirements information.”
What a dick of a company.
I want my DRM-free music in AAC format for my iPhone and AppleTV, not MP3! Universal can wait to get my money until they do DRM-Free on iTunes. Besides, who wants to deal with moving music files from the deasktop to iTunes?
I don’t know…there is something to be said about the experience of buying a CD at a store. It’s the experience of opening it up, smelling the new-ness, and putting it into your player. It’s opening up the booklet and reading along while you listen.
The experience of a CD purchase makes it worth it. It was the same with tapes and LP’s. There’s something so impersonal about buying digital music…
All the Billy Joel you could ever want!
And such a bargain!
…and hopefully the competition will drive the DRM free song price in iTunes down to 99 cents or less.
Is Capitalism great or what!?
But Walmarts music download is NOT Mac compatible.
M@c…
Absolutely! Online music “shopping” will NEVER replace poking through CD bins and “trying” obscure or unknown stuff based solely on graphics and gut instinct.
I was in Paris during the spring and went to FNAC by the Bastille Opera. It was actually pretty exciting to dig around and buy a pile of music I know I probably never see in the States.
I’ve got a favorite music store in Sofia, Bulgaria, too. Found some amazing music in Istanbul and Munich…
Looks like the download site doesn’t support Macs.
More double standards by Universal?
Why don’t they agree to DRM free MP3’s on iTunes?
More so as they’re giving it away for even less -without DRM- at Wal-Mart now…
You all have it wrong—way wrong when it comes to WMA files.
Microsoft has empowered the end-user with their standard. Throw in the pristine quality of WMA with the liberal DRM policy from the geniuses in Redmond and what you have is a win-win situation for the consumer. Hey MAC lemmings, don’t let Apple bully you into their “open” formats for their proprietary iPods. Nobody wants either.
Wal-Mart is making a deal with the devil selling DRM-free MP3 format tracks. They had a strong alliance and fantastic thing going with Microsoft and WMA. Why change? My Dell Ditty is filled with great WMA tracks.
Your potential. Our passion.™
Complete BS. Why wouldn’t it support Macs??? It’s DRM free, it’s an MP3. Macs can read MP3 files. That is out of control discrimination to punish Apple users for iTunes. Someone should file a lawsuit.
I like the major change of tune from MDN on this one. It’s quite a reversal from what they said before. Of course, I’m sure they won’t admit they changed their stance, but it is nice to see once in a while.
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Oh, and the store is most certainly Mac compatible, just not OS X compatible in the same way that it’s not Windows 98 compatible.
@MegaMe
silly, naturally it doesn’t work on a Mac! Macs can’t play mp3s!
“i would buy an iPod if they could play mp3s instead of that iTunes stuff…”
yes, that is a really quote, spoken to me in real life, by a real idiot….
FYI: A 256 kbits AAC file is far higher quality than a 256 kbits mp3.
With sites that I run across that don’t support Macintosh, I simply email support and ask them about it. If we all do this then retailers and others will realize that Mac users are out there and represent an opportunity to make more money. I have noticed that more and more are replying that they are planning or working on that compatibility.
“But Walmarts music download is NOT Mac compatible”
Not true. Their site says: “Our MP3 format files will play on both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. Important: At this time, it isn’t possible to shop and download songs directly from Wal-Mart Music Downloads to a Macintosh computer. However, you can transfer the MP3 files from a Windows computer to a Macintosh using a CD, other storage device or email.”
What I find weird is that the MP3 album ($9.22) costs less than a WMA album ($9.44) in their FAQ despite MP3 singles costing more. Is this because MS gets a cut of WMA album sales?
I hope the artists get the same or more money from the WalMart store (pigs, start flying now).
In their FAQ is states…
“Do I need to use Microsoft Windows Media Player?
Our downloads are WMA-format files protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM). Microsoft Windows Media Player is able to play, burn and transfer WMA files protected by DRM encryption. Other players are also able to play these files, but you cannot buy Wal-Mart Music Downloads from inside other players.
If you try to play a song in an older version of another media player and get an error message about a missing license, you can try playing the song in Windows Media Player first, then in the other media player. Or you may need to upgrade the other media player to the latest version. The player needs to support Digital Rights Management (DRM) encryption.”
So I still need a windows machine with XP or 2000 (no Mac, no Linux and no Vista(!)) with Windows Media Player… Tell me again how this is open and DRM free???
What a crock…
musicians who sell on the walmart online store get no money, but do get to participate in companies fine retirement plan (several pages on how to get money from the government) and income assistant (a pamphlet on begging and using food stamps) programs.
please note that unpaid overtime is mandatory.
“I like the major change of tune from MDN on this one. It’s quite a reversal from what they said before. Of course, I’m sure they won’t admit they changed their stance, but it is nice to see once in a while.”
do tell. what was their stance before?
Hang on to your Dell Ditty, Zune Tang…it may be the only one left out there.
A buddy sent me a song in WMA the other day…what a royal pain having to download something to play it and even more to convert it to something iTunes would accept. WMA is DOA.
Let’s get one thing straight — if you don’t like Wal-Mart, don’t buy from them. If you don’t like their employment options, by all means, don’t work there. Wal-Mart is under no obligation to provide ANY retirement package. Neither is any other company. Got it, masters of economics? Oh, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, what’s a huge problem for GM, Ford, and Chrysler? Would that be their retirement packages, pensions, and such, which force massive overhead on the companies? Yeah. So can I blame Wal-Mart for learning from the past? Not one bit.
I think their lack of Mac support is lame. Thus, I don’t buy from them. I also don’t buy from them because they’ve abandoned the vision of Sam Walton.
But as for the people who know jack about how to run a company and view all employers as magic gumball machines, why don’t you shut up?
lol, magic gumball machines
It’s interesting that they seem to be encouraging Mac users to have someone with a Windows PC to download their music for them. Of course we know that the Windows user wouldn’t be so unscrupulous as to keep a copy for themselves. That wouldn’t be legal, would it?
As a Mac Fanboy, I will NEVER buy anywhere but iTunes. Who needs Wal-Mart’s “junky” mp3s. Like all Mac Fanboys, I would gladly pay a few cents more to get a lower quality DRM packed download from Apple…. Woooo Hooo Steve!!!!!
This is the only way the record labels have any hope of gaining leverage over Apple—start offering DRM-free tracks with every possible online vendor. I won’t be surprised if McDonald’s and Coke get back into the fray, not to mention Amazon, Best Buy, Circuit City, the Dollar Store, the Exxon mini mart and your local nail salon.
Of course, now the pipe dream of an endless stream of money from subscription services is clearly over and Apple will still sell gobs of iPods.
And to think how everyone said that Steve Jobs was so disingenous when he suggested that the record industry should drop DRM…
Hmmm…