Apple Announces Changes to iTunes Stores: DRM Free, Variable Pricing - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Announces Changes to iTunes Stores: DRM Free, Variable Pricing

At today's Macworld Expo keynote, Apple announced several changes to the iTunes store.

Starting today, 8 million of the iTunes Store's 10 million songs are now available DRM-free via iTunes Plus. All 10 million songs in the iTunes Store will be offered DRM-free by the end of March. Apple will also offer users a one-click solution to upgrade their entire library to iTunes Plus for 30 cents per song or 30% of album prices.

Additionally, the iTunes Wi-Fi music store is now compatible with 3G, allowing iPhone users to preview and download the entire iTunes music catalog over the 3G cellular network. Songs are available at the same price and quality as over Wi-Fi.

Finally, beginning in April, the iTunes Store will offer pricing in three tiers ($0.69, $0.99, and $1.29) based on the prices the music labels charge Apple.

Update: Several users have reported that iTunes Store downloads are also working over AT&T's slower EDGE network.

Popular Stories

Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Promo to Offer Free AirPods Pro 3

Friday May 15, 2026 8:59 am PDT by
Starting as early as next week, customers who sign up for an Apple Card at Apple's retail stores in the U.S. will receive $249 cash back when they purchase AirPods Pro 3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The promotion has yet to be officially announced by Apple, so exact terms and conditions are not available at this time. AirPods Pro 3 are priced at $249 in the U.S., so customers who...
Apple WWDC25 iOS 26 CarPlay Light mode 250609

Six Popular iPhone Apps Now Available on CarPlay

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's CarPlay system for accessing iPhone apps on a vehicle's dashboard screen has received six popular apps in recent weeks: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Google Meet, WhatsApp, and the indie artist streaming platform Audiomack. Make sure you have the latest version of each app and they will automatically appear on CarPlay. ChatGPT Starting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based...
ipad mini 7 blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Thursday May 14, 2026 5:08 am PDT by
According to the latest rumors, Apple is close to launching its next-generation iPad mini. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code...