Microsoft relaxing DRM on audio files

Don't get too excited; they didn't abolish "Plays for Sure" or anything. However, it's great to see the recognition that the quality of an audio file shouldn't be dumbed down for a phone. Working with DRM provider CoreMedia, Microsoft has opened the doors to transfer a high-bitrate audio file from a computer to a phone, and perhaps vice versa. Verizon and Sprint currently provide lower bitrate files for phones when purchased from their music stores or offer the option to download two different versions of the same song: one low bitrate file for the phone and a higher bitrate version for a PC. Thanks to increased storage capacity and download speeds on mobile phones, it's really not necessary to sell crappy versions of the songs we love, now is it?

Comments

[Josh Einstein]

Unfortunately, alot of times I want to be able to re-encode a file at a lower bitrate to fit more on my storage card but I can't. This isn't a Microsoft limitation, rather the content provides sets this limit.