There has been a sort of move to variable pricing in recent months, at least with albums. There have been lots of special offers and although the CDs can still often be bought for less, it is a step in the right direction. DRM-free music and variable pricing is great news.

By the way, iTunes Plus tracks already cost the same as standard tracks with DRM. iTunes Plus music used to cost more but that changed quite some time ago.

Apple’s refusal to license FairPlay put the RIAA over a barrel when the store that catered to the hottest selling device became the hottest store.

This left the pushers of DRM with four choices:

1) Let other stores license a different and incompatible DRM and render their music files incompatible with the hottest selling device.

2) Go DRM-free on all stores except iTunes and lock all non-Apple portable music player owners out of the largest music retailer.

3) Consider suing Apple for not licensing FairPlay to other retailers, and/or for not buying a license from someone else in the “DRM software market”. Realize it has no merits. Start dropping the word “monopoly” in the press and suggest that the reason for crappy sales in other stores is because of Apple’s price controls.

4) Piss, moan, and finally let Apple remove DRM.

They’ve tried the first three.

Thanks!