Amazon today launched a public beta of “Amazon MP3,” a new digital music download store featuring a la carte DRM-free MP3 music downloads. Amazon MP3 has over 2 million songs from more than 180,000 artists represented by over 20,000 major and independent labels. Amazon MP3 complements Amazon.com’s existing selection of over 1 million CDs to now offer customers more selection of physical and digital music than any other retailer.
“Amazon MP3 is an all-MP3, DRM-free catalog of a la carte music from major labels and independent labels, playable on any device, in high-quality audio, at low prices,” said Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President for Digital Music, in the press release. “This new digital music service has already been through an extensive private beta, and today we’re excited to offer it to our customers as a fully functional public beta. We look forward to receiving feedback from our customers and using their input to refine the service.”
Every song and album on Amazon MP3 is available exclusively in the MP3 format without digital rights management (DRM) software. This means that Amazon MP3 customers are free to enjoy their music downloads using any hardware device, including Macs, PCs, iPods, iPhones, etc.; organize their music using any music management application such as iTunes; and burn songs to CDs.
Most songs are priced from 89 cents to 99 cents, with more than 1 million of the 2 million songs priced at 89 cents. The top 100 best-selling songs are 89 cents, unless marked otherwise. Most albums are priced from $5.99 to $9.99. The top 100 best-selling albums are $8.99 or less, unless marked otherwise.
Every song on Amazon MP3 is encoded at 256 kilobits per second.
Customers can purchase downloads using Amazon 1-Click shopping, and with the Amazon MP3 Downloader, seamlessly add their MP3s to their iTunes or Windows Media Player libraries.
Amazon MP3 has over 2 million songs from more than 180,000 artists, including 50 Cent, Alison Krauss, Amy Winehouse, Ani DiFranco, Arcade Fire, Beastie Boys, Coldplay, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ella Fitzgerald, Feist, John Coltrane, KT Tunstall, Keith Urban, Koko Taylor, Lily Allen, Madeleine Peyroux, Maroon 5, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, Morrissey, Nelly, Nickel Creek, Nirvana, Norah Jones, Paul McCartney, Philip Glass, Pink Floyd, Pixies, Radiohead, Ray Charles, Rod Stewart, Spoon, Stevie Wonder, The Chemical Brothers, The Decemberists, and The Rolling Stones.
Independent labels offering their catalog of music for the first time as DRM-free MP3s include Alligator Records, HighTone Records, Madacy Entertainment, Sanctuary Records, Rounder Records, Righteous Babe Records, Sugar Hill Records, and Trojan Records.
Amazon MP3 beta is here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Winston” for the heads up.]
It’s too bad Amazon chose to use the dinosaur format MP3 instead of the much more efficient AAC format which provides higher-quality results with smaller file sizes and better decoding efficiency (requiring less processing power for decode) than the old MP3 format. Besides that unfortunate format choice and the need to run the Amazon MP3 Downloader application, this looks good (based solely on the press release, as we haven’t tried it).
By the way, users who like this Amazon store can thank Steve Jobs; it’s due to his call for DRM-free music that this even exists. It’s past time that the other music labels who are still clinging to DRM (cough, Middlebronfman, cough) face the music.
The downloader application in NOT necessary unless you are purchasing an entire album. I see this as a healthy, competitive move which should benefit everyone.
“Nice.
Simple.
No crap.
“APPLE COULD LEARN FROM AMAZON.” —theloniusMac
I agree that Amazon MP3 looks nice at first glance, but what are you talking about? Are you suggesting that Apple products and services are not nice, simple and crap-free? Apple defines these qualities!
One of the things that will be interesting to watch is Amazon’s prices. We’ve heard nothing yet about their contract with “the labels”. The current prices could be nothing more than bait to bring in some customers before the prices start climbing. Labels are not unhappy with iTunes, just Job’s unwillingness to allow variable pricing (interpretation: “label controlled pricing”). New business mostly need customers before they raise their prices. Lets compare Amazon’s prices to those on iTunes in a year, and see how we as consumers faire then.
This might provide just enough “competition” to keep the anti-trust people at bay…
Just downloaded Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane from the new Amazon store.
Sounds great.
Downloaded the same album from iTunes.
One thing I’ll say for iTunes, the entire album downloads in SECONDS.
The quality of the audio of both stores is very good. One is indistinguishable from another.
The MP3 songs are substantially larger.
I’m still not sure how I feel about the sliding scale and all-feels like the old regime trying to resurrect the old business model to me, but this is hoe it should be: use your music that you’ve legally purchased wherever you want. MP3 and bit rates are still suckin’, but it’s an interesting move forward. And let us not forget that Apple gave us the first real legitimate digital music store. iTunes set the standard now others may follow. Interesting.
Yup, I’ve bought here now too. There are dozens of hard core swing bands that aren’t yet on iTunes available here including George Gee etc and the overall prices are cheaper by at least $1-2 per album than the comparable iTunes ones. And MP3 format is fine by me. Bring it on I say, the more swing the better.
PS. Henri’s comment about only US seems wrong. I’m in Canada (though I have both US and Canadian credit cards after working in the states) and my purchase went through fine.
Sounds to me as if Amazon will get more people to buy iPods which is good for Apple and its stockholders.
I just found some tunes on Amazom that were selling for $1.94. On iTunes these are album only.
Quicksilver Messenger Service – Happy Trails – Mona, Calvary.
Interesting.
You can convert the 256k MP3 to 128k AAC without much of audible loss. If you have some older than 90’s music their mastering and mixes are so bad to begin with that it doesn’t matter and the newer productions are so good that they can take the resampling without loss. The biggest loss happens when the music that is recorded with 96k–192k sampling rate is transfered from the studio master to 44.1k CD
I’m just wondering if iTunes will match Amazon’s prices, at least it gives Apple some negotiating power. Waiting for $5 album prices…
Can someone answer this one for me?
When playing a 256kbps MP3 versus the same quality 128kbps AAC, will there be a difference in battery life of the player?
They also have album only tracks:
James Gang – Live in Concert – Lost Woman
Competition is always good – whether or not Amazon succeeds is no indication that Apple will stop being successful – they’ll just have competition, and this will be very good for Amazon, Apple, and you and me.
Good for consumer, not too bad for Apple, real bad for Microsoft.
This competition will be good for the consumer and Apple will continue to rake in the $$ since they make most their $$ from selling iPods/iPhones anyhow. Pricing and DRM-free is interesting given the labels have been arguing for higher-priced tracks and continued copy protection. It will be interesting how this affects iTunes pricing and their relationship with the labels. Seems to be a move opposite of what they’ve been pushing for, but I guess limiting Apple’s power is the focus at the moment.
Although the MP3 format plays on most any digital player (iPods, Zunes, Zens, etc.) it seems to be another blow to Microsoft’s WMA format. The two largest digital media companies may end up being Apple and Amazon – both selling formats that work with iPods/iPhones (again, where Apple really makes $$). This may also open the floodgates for more stores supporting DRM-free content – great for consumer, perhaps detrimental to the labels and artists – we’ll see.
I prefer ACC, but MP3 @ 256k isn’t bad at all. I don’t believe ACC @ 128k is equivelent to MP3 @ 256k like the comment above. More like ACC @ 190k, but someone out there probably has the spec.
CORRECTION: AAC not ACC – the coffee’s still not working
Poor take MDN! I just bought 3 tracks, that I had considered buying on iTunes…sorry, but the .30 cent savings adds up over the course of 400 songs.
Amazon the new iTunes.
“APPLE COULD LEARN FROM AMAZON.”
What could they learn? Hmmm? Could they learn about having DRM-free downloads? If thats the case I think they already KNOW that. They need PERMISSION to make them DRM free.
If you are saying they could learn better music purchase music player integration then you are off base my friend. Buying through iTunes is still the easiest way to get your music from that standpoint.
How many ‘touches’ do you’ll need to buy a song from Amazon in a iPod Touch? HAHAHA
The 10 cents more from iTunes are for the convenience.
They have less titles than iTunes, but, hey competition makes better products, right?
Not too shabby!
so amazon can sell tunes for less than .99 cents and yet the record companies want apple TO RAISE their prices. Pretty unfair
Awesome, just awesome. I’ve been sitting here paging through hundreds of albums (many of which I already own), but there’s so many great titles out there. I think this is the first service that begins to give iTMS a run for its money. Competition is a good thing, and 256 Kbps MP3 is just fine with me. Hell, half of my collection is ripped in 128 Kbps MP3 and I can’t tell the difference.
My bet: Amazon wouldn’t be selling $.89 DRM-free tracks if it weren’t for Apple sticking to their guns. Apple helped make this possible and I don’t agree with the comment “APPLE COULD LEARN FROM AMAZON.”
Currently, there’s a lot less of a selection from Amazon and new albums like today’s Foo Fighters release are not available. Also, iTunes is still better organized and designed plus has more features.
It’s a win for Apple either way – more iPod sales!
“APPLE COULD LEARN FROM AMAZON.”
What’s to learn??
I will look here for music first. Personally the difference between MP3 @ 256k and AAC @ 128k is small enough to make the DRM free recording worth looking for first. Apple sells DRM free as AAC @ 256k for $.40 more then Amazon. The question here is will the difference between MP3 @ 265k and AAC @ 256k be worth the price higher price. I think to most consumers not care and so will look at Amazon first (most consumers by PC on price not function).
One negative is that the UI of Amazon is cumbersome. The search process clunky. In order to listen to a sample of a track you need to drill down to the track first. If you do not want to buy that track …, backup three pages to return to your search result. iTunes makes searching and sampling super easy. My approach will be to find what I want in iTunes then check to see if it is available at Amazon.
PM
This is the end of ITMS! It hasn’t been announced yet, but I’m sure with the new Zune 2.0 with the innovative use of the “Squircle”, Microsofts own music store will provide DRM Free Windows Media Format at 640kbs. Yes 5x that of 128kbs. With Microsoft own “AGS” Adaptive Guessimate System, that 640 will be down to 64kbs, thus saving you many megabytes of space. Now you can have twice the amount of music on your new Zune 2.0 with Squircle technology. This is just the beginning. The dynamic duo of Bill Gates and Ballmer are on a roll now.