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Apple announced today an update to iTunes (now at version 7.2) which brings us DRM-free tracks via iTunes Plus. The launch of iTunes Plus will offer all EMI tracks as either DRM or DRM-free. The DRM-free tracks will be 256 kbps AAC files and can be purchased for $1.29 per song. If you have any tracks that you wanted to upgrade to the higher quality DRM-free version you can pay either the $0.30 difference per song or upgrade the album for around $3.00. The existing 128 kbps DRM version will also still be available for the regular $0.99, giving you the choice at the time of purchase. The option for DRM-free tracks will give us many more choices and options for playback, so the choices of computers and type of devices are now wide open. This is a great first step from EMI and Apple, and hopefully others will follow.

Along with the EMI track updates, version 7.2 also brings some free educational content on iTunes U. This will include course lectures, language lessons, lab demonstrations, sports highlights and campus tours from colleges and universities including Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Duke University and MIT.

Read [Apple]

“Our customers are very excited about the freedom and amazing sound quality of iTunes Plus,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We expect more than half of the songs on iTunes will be offered in iTunes Plus versions by the end of this year.”

“This is a tremendous milestone for digital music,” said Eric Nicoli, CEO of EMI Group. “Consumers are going to love listening to higher quality iTunes Plus tracks from their favorite EMI artists with no usage restrictions.”

With the release of iTunes Plus, customers can now download tracks from their favorite EMI artists without limitations on the type of music player or number of computers that purchased songs can be played on. iTunes is also offering customers a simple, one-click option to easily upgrade their library of previously purchased EMI content to the iTunes Plus versions. EMI music videos are now also available in iTunes Plus versions with no change in price. iTunes Plus songs purchased from the iTunes Store will play on all iPods, Mac® or Windows computers, widescreen TVs with Apple TV™ and soon iPhones, as well as many other digital music players.