Nokia Music ditches DRM...

[GreGorGy]

Got this email.

Hello,

Great News: Nokia Music will soon be part of Ovi!


Along with a new name and sleek new look, Ovi Music (formerly Nokia Music Store) now delivers fantastic new benefits like DRM-free MP3 files that you can play on a PC, Mac or any personal music player. It's faster, easier way to browse, search and download the music you want via the new and improved Ovi Player. And if that's not enough for you, Firefox and Safari browsers can now also access the music store to browse and download music!


We wanted you to know this exciting news first, so look for an upcoming email announcing when we will becoming Ovi Music, as well as important details regarding your account. Until then, please avoid changing your Nokia Music account details such as your password, email address or mobile number.


A new and improved musical journey is just around the corner!


Yours in Music,
The South Africa Music Team

The link I clicked still said unsupported browser but it proposes an interesting conundrum when fixed. If this music store is DRM-free and things are realistically priced, it may finally be possible to get really honest truly legal MP3 purchases on a large scale in ZA. And my thinking is too little too late. MOST EVERYONE that I have been in contact with around this have either gone the Russian Route (mp3panda and its predecessors), iTunes Music Store virtual vouchers and the associated tricks, torrentz and the like or somehow managed to get on to sites like 7digital before they closed to non-european registrations.

How likely is anyone to make use of a legit music site now, 5 years after that horse bolted?

 

[mvik]

Finally!

I've used the Nokia Music Store for a while but HATED the DRM, it reached the point when I decided not to buy anything from them anymore. They do have a decent library and provide a good service overall but the DRM really spoiled everything that was good about the store. Once the DRM is dropped I will give them a 110% support as I do not support piracy at all.

On another note we have to provide them with some credit for breaking new ground in SA which is more than we can say about iTunes.

 

[Ianvn]

Apparently if you have downloaded songs from the previously (DRM enabled) you can just re-download it in mp3 format (DRM free) once the new store goes live. Even if they stay at R10 a song it still becomes worth it buying legal DRM free music.

the bitrate for the new MP3 format will be 320 kbs/s which improves from the current 190 kbs/s

you will just need to redownload your tracks into the new format to get MP3 format instead of the WMA format which currently has the DRM-Protection on – you don’t have to purchase tracks again, just redownload the new format