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Amazon.com - DRM-free MP3s

Posted on Thursday, September 27th, 2007 at 12:26pm. #


Photo: Noah Hall. Used under license.

Bizarre.

Not only does Amazon.com’s MP3 service sell 256k MP3s with no DRM at all… but it appears to work from the UK.

Order as normal. Use your amazon.co.uk username/password. Choose a credit card. It then asks you to update your address - I filled in my London address, and then chose “CA” for my state, and the ever faithful “90210″ as my ZIP code.

And I’m now the proud owner of a song (KD Tunstall, if you’re interested), for the sum of 44p instead of iTunes UK’s DRM’d 79p charge.

Amazon.com = iTunes killer.

13 comments

Alistair MacDonald said at September 27th, 2007 at 12:53pm

“KD Tunstall”? I knew if I waited long enough James would make a typo. :-) Good choice by the way.

Now a thought provoking question. As by paying the 44p you have essentially agreed a contract to use the music as a consumer, but have falsified you address to pretend you are a US customer, is that agreement still valid? Although you morally have paid for the track, are you are in fact still committing copyright infringement by downloading, storing and playing that audio?

I think the PPL will be sending the boys round James.

James Cridland said at September 27th, 2007 at 1:12pm

I wonder how different it is from flying to NYC and then - shock - buying a CD?

Matt said at September 27th, 2007 at 1:50pm

We must live round the corner as that’s my Zip Code and State too!

Sean said at September 27th, 2007 at 2:20pm

For what its worth iTunes are offering free tracks for the cost of a text. Send a text with the word ROCK or POP or LIVE to 85100 and you’ll get a code from iTunes. Go to iTunes and click on the Redeem button and voila!

Can be used multiple times until Sunday (Sept 30th)

William T said at September 27th, 2007 at 5:54pm

If Apple aren’t making any money on the ITMS, how can Amazon afford to undercut them? (unless its not really an undercut, and if/when it launches in the UK it’ll be 60p despite the exchange rate..)

amazon launches DRM free downloads site « Adrian Pegg | my media said at September 27th, 2007 at 9:21pm

[...] mp3 *** UPDATE ***  James Cridland has cracked [...]

Adrian said at September 27th, 2007 at 9:27pm

Thanks for cracking this James. Oddly enough it was the KT Tunstall album I was trying to download when I discovered that I couldn’t. And now I have.

What a service!

Nick Piggott said at September 28th, 2007 at 9:22am

Ah, now two problems. One, someone will spot the inevitable 99c loophole and close it. Two - KD Tunstall… what were you thinking?! (Could be worse - first time I read it, I thought it said k.d. lang, which would have been a major statement of lifestyle).

John Tolson said at September 28th, 2007 at 4:06pm

Brilliant…especially useful for tracks not available in the UK! I wonder how long it will take them to realise London and Leeds are not in California!

Jack said at September 30th, 2007 at 3:48pm

44p makes it almost worthwhile switching from mp3sugar.com (320k encryption quality, BTW.) for the moral comfort of buying from a legitimate site. I guess this makes the price of my morality around 40p.

God I’m cheap.

Konstantinos said at March 23rd, 2008 at 2:28pm

Hey there — does this hack work anymore?

I tried to use it for the first time today, and here’s what I got: http://flickr.com/photos/misled/2354788490/

James Cridland said at March 23rd, 2008 at 7:15pm

No, they’ve closed it. But cheaper iTunes songs are on the way, and amazon.co.uk will be selling MP3s this year (2008). So, all is still good for those who are patient.

Konstantinos said at March 24th, 2008 at 1:22am

Ah, I see — thank you for the quick reply, James.

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