Slow March To DRM Free Music Becomes A Sprint

A DRM FREE WORLD (Hypebot) –
The slow march towards universal DRM free music appears about to become a sprint to the finish line. Recent developments pushing Sony BMG, WMG and other holdouts to reconsider their protectionist positions include:

Initial sales and kudos from the media and consumers for Amazon's all mp3 store

Rumors that we've been hearing for weeks of a billion (yes that's a b) track giveaway involving Pepsi and the Amazon mp3 store to be unveiled during the Super Bowl

Rumors that WalMart.com is demanding that all labels deliver tracks as DRM free mp3's or risk being booted off the site

Solid digital sales increases at EMI since going DRM free

Signs that the Universal "experiment" is now a permanent policy shift
An increasing number of hold-out labels including most recently Hollywood experimenting with DRM free sales

Rumors that Sony BMG is readying an mp3 experiment and that WMG is finally allowing the possibility to be be openly discussed

A more rapid than expected decline in physical CD sales

Increased popularity of The Zune and other players beyond the iPod

Just a week ago I asked "Has The March To DRM Free Stalled??" It appears that I should have trusted my own December '06 prediction that 2007 would be the breakthrough year for DRM free music.