Vodafone now offers DRM-free music

Three of the "Big Four" major record labels, Sony, EMI, and Universal, have gotten on board with European carrier Vodafone to provide DRM-free music for the wireless carrier's music store.

Music tracks downloaded through Vodafone Music were formerly protected WMA, but soon the company says it will be selling music as unprotected MP3s. Those who have already purchased music as WMA are eligible for free MP3 crossgrades.

Since 2007, Vodafone Music has been powered by RealNetworks, which fully abandoned DRM for its own Rhapsody store late last year. Vodafone subsidiary Verizon offers a rather clumsy method of providing DRM-free music through V Cast Music with Rhapsody which involves downloading two copies of each song: one on the handset, and a DRM-free version on the PC.