In order to provide competition to Apple Inc's iTunes store, digital music service Napster Inc. on Tuesday 20 May opened the world’s largest MP3 download store that houses over six million songs. This brand new web-based music store of Napster will hold digital songs of all prominent music labels as well as thousands of independent labels. The point to be noted is that the MP3 format songs provided by the Napster music store will go with a huge array of digital media devices and cell phones including the very popular iPod and iPhone from rival Apple.

 

Until recently, the digital music service Napster Inc. thrived by selling all-you-can-eat monthly streaming music subscription packages to music aficionados. But it found a problem in winning over those customers who wanted to transfer the songs to a portable device like the market-leading iPod. With this new offering, Napster aims to break Apple’s monopoly in the sphere of digital music by providing music buffs more songs without copy protection or digital rights management (DRM). The Apple owned iTunes Music store too proffers six million songs but with Fairplay DRM that keeps songs from being played on most portable players.

 

Due to the rampant piracy problem, a number of prominent music labels earlier were reluctant to permit online retailers to market their songs without protection. But as the perception of the music industry broadens its horizon, more and more executives now want to experiment or take a chance. Chris Gorog, Napster chief executive remarked that they were now shifting away from the DRM canopy and that all those interested can use Napster with any device. Napster web-based music store will sell most of its songs at 99 cents a song, whereas the album will cost around $9.95.