Guide Note

Amazon.com launched an online digital music store in September 2007. The mp3 files are not restricted by DRM, unlike on Apple's popular iTunes Store.

Fast Facts

Estimated to include 1 million tracks at launch
Music from Universal, EMI and independent labels¹
Does not include songs from Sony BMG or Warner Music Group¹
Most albums cost between $5.00 and $9.00²
The service is available for all major operational systems¹
Number of songs is planned to reach 2 million¹

Launch and Buzz

Amazon's promotional strategy includes a partnership with Pepsi³. The lack of DRM was highly praised in the blogosphere, which in turn triggered viral marketing.⁴ Other features that contributed to the store's popularity include the universal mp3 format, the ease of download and the variety of songs and artists offered.⁴

Artists and Songs

The Amazon music store sells songs by some of the most popular recent artists.¹ It offers music from a variety of genres, including R&B, rock, pop and others.¹ Some of the artists included are 50 Cent, Beastie Boys, Coldplay, Ella Fitzgerald, Maroon 5, Marvin Gaye, The Rolling Stones and many others.¹

Categories

Technology | Music | Internet

View Note History

Amazon Music Store

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Site: Amazon MP3
Wikipedia: Amazon MP3
The Unofficial Apple Weblog: Amazon MP3: a quick review (September 25, 2007)
New York Times: Amazon Music on an iPod (July 31, 2008)
Fortune: Amazon: The Avis of digital music (July 31, 2008)
WashingtonPost.com: Faster Forward: Amazon's MP3 Store (September 25, 2007)
The New York Times: "Amazon to Sell Music Without Copy Protection" (May 17, 2007)

Amazon Music Store News

CrunchGear: Amazon MP3 Beta Launches (September 25, 2007)
Amazon.com: News Release: Amazon.com to Launch DRM-Free MP3 Music Download Store
New York Post: Underdog Amazon Set to Challenge iTunes (August 31, 2007)
CNET News: Amazon to offer DRM-free music downloads (May 16, 2007)

Amazon Music Store Background

Wired: Epicenter: Amazon to Sell DRM-free Tunes from EMI (May 16, 2007)
BBC News: Amazon to sell unprotected music (May 16, 2007)
TimesOnline: Amazon set to launch online music store (April 23, 2007)
BusinessWeek: Is Amazon Finally About to Offer a Digital Music Service? (2005)

Amazon Music Store Blogs

Gizmodo: Amazon Non-DRM MP3 Store now in Public Beta, Easy to Use (September 25, 2007)
Engadget: Amazon launches DRM-free "Amazon MP3" music downloads (September 25, 2007)
Idolator: Holy Crap It's Actually Here: The Amazon MP3 Store Is (Sorta) Open (September 25, 2007)
Guardian Unlimited: Technology: Amazon.com launches public beta of MP3 store, threatens iTunes (September 25, 2007)
Wired: Listening Post: Early Review: Amazon's New MP3 Music Store (September 25, 2007)
Gizmodo: Amazon's DRM-Free MP3 Store Likely to Launch Mid-September (August 31, 2007)
BloggingStocks: Amazon.com to debut iTunes rival soon (August 31, 2007)
The Motley Fool: Amazon.com Cranks Up the Music (August 31, 2007)
TechCrunch: Finding DRM-Free Music Online (August 24, 2007)
Ars Technica: Amazon announces long-rumored DRM-free music store (May 16, 2007)
Download Squad: Amazon announce DRM free digital music store (May 16, 2007)
The Last Podcast: Why Nobody Will Care About Amazon's DRM-Free Music Service (April 23, 2007)
Ars Technica: Amazon readying DRM-free music service (April 23, 2007)
TUAW.com: Amazon drops music store plans (2006)
Google Blog Search: Amazon Music Store

Related Searches

Amazon.com | Amazon mp3 | iTunes | Digital Rights Management | Jeff Bezos | Rhapsody