Sony-BMG May Launch DRM-Free Subscription Music Service

by Jarrett Martineau | March 25, 2008 at 09:30 am

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In a lengthy NY Times magazine feature last fall, Rick Rubin hailed a monthly, subscription-based service model as the potential saving grace for the music biz. Rubin is also the head of Columbia Records, so it's interesting to note that it's Columbi'as parent company, Sony-BMG, that is considering offering this very service:

Sony BMG boss, Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, was just quoted in an interview saying that Sony BMG is "working on an online music subscription service." The service would cost between €6 to €8 per month (about $9 to $12) when launching later in the year and provide full access to its entire music catalog. He goes on to say that customers could own "some songs" even after the subscription was canceled. Interesting on its own, right? Now the kicker: it will work "for all digital players, including Apple's iPod." That means DRM-free unless Apple agrees to license its FairPlay DRM... which it won't. Hell, Sony BMG is already offering DRM-free MP3s to Amazon.