Napster, the once illegal music-sharing website and now major music retailer, plans to sell downloads in the MP3 format, joining the many companies removing copying protection from online tracks.
Napster said yesterday it would start offering the format from the second quarter in a switch from using Microsoft's digital rights management (DRM) system.
DRM systems, which stop buyers moving tracks between devices, making multiple copies and passing them on to their friends, was originally stipulated by big record labels. They have relaxed their stance over the past year as music sales have continued to fall. Although digital sales have risen strongly, they have not made up for the drop-off in revenue from CDs and the effect of rampant piracy.
Responding to users' demands for music that can be used on several devices, Britain's EMI was the first to break ranks on DRM last April. The label, whose artists include Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams and Lily Allen, started offering DRM-free tracks in better audio quality at a higher price in a deal with Apple's iTunes.
Universal, the world's largest music group, is also experimenting with tracks free of copy protection. The home to Mika and Amy Winehouse has been running a six-month trial to explore the appetite for DRM-free "open" MP3s.
Napster's chairman, Chris Gorog, said the move comes at the same time as "a critical mass of support for MP3s".
"The ubiquity and cross-platform compatibility of MP3s should create a more level playing field for music services and hardware providers, and result in greater ease of use and broader adoption of digital music," he said.
All of Napster's single track and album sales will be made available exclusively in the MP3 format, which will be compatible with virtually all MP3 players and music phones including Apple's best-selling iPod and its recently launched iPhone.