Apple Envisions DRM-Free Future

I wasn't planning to post about Apple twice in one week but Steve Jobs is causing a stir again - this time over an open letter on the Apple website declaring their support for a digital music business model free from DRM (digital rights management) restrictions. Whilst I'm sure that this is a tactic that has been calculated with Apple's best interests in mind, it could also potentially be a great thing for UK consumers and could deflect public concerns before they've even really begun (in the UK at least). On the Web DRM seems to have become a contentious issue for many but, having done groups on the subject in the UK, it is still an unknown concept for most consumers. The idea of any kind of restrictions being placed on the music they buy is alien to them based on their current understanding of music ownership, developed on physical formats such as CD (or increasingly (illegal) downloading and sharing for many). Even most who have used iTunes are still apparently unfamiliar with the idea that they can't use this music in the future on a non-iPod mp3 player. This is not to say that they are neutral to the idea. When probed it is obviously anathema to their understanding of 'buying' and 'owning' a piece of music. As digital music does become a more viable option of music purchase for more people, it is unlikely that the current model developed by the major record companies will do much to shift their behaviour from the current patterns of (illegal) downloading and sharing with the occasional physical purchase - especially for the more 'muso' types. When iTunes or other digital music stores are used, the reason most often cited is for the ease and guarantee of quality - supporting Jobs' hypothesis. In other words, many consumers using the service are well aware that they could source their music elsewhere for cheaper/free. They use digital music stores because they make life simpler for a small fee. Given the amount of DRM-free music already floating about out there for anybody willing to look for it, perhaps this is the hook that the major record companies should be banking on to capitalise on their assets, rather than hoping that they can somehow stop the changes that have already been forced on their industry. Because when it does eventually reach the mass public consciousness it seems likely that DRM will be very unpopular, potentially pushing more people away from the idea of purchasing digital music and encouraging more file-sharing and dissemination of DRM-free tracks.