Warner Offers DRM-Free MP3s Via Amazon

After years of resistance, Warner Music Group, the label home to artists like Led Zeppelin, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, the White Stripes, and R.E.M., among many others, has released its expansive catalogue into Amazon.com's digital music store as DRM-free MP3 downloads. Joining other major labels -- notably EMI and Universal -- Warner's catalogue arrives as the online music arena continues to heat up with the entry of Wal-Mart and the flourishing embrace of DRM-free music -- a format that allows music to be copied and played without restriction.

"Consumers want flexibility with respect to what they can do with music once they purchase it, and we want them to have that flexibility, which is why we're pleased to offer our artists' music on Amazon MP3," Michael Nash, Senior Vice President, Digital Strategy and Business Development for Warner Music Group, said in a statement. "We believe that giving consumers the assurance that the music they purchase can be played on any device they own will only encourage more sales of music."