Warner to add catalog to Amazon's MP3 store

The label has announced a deal that allows Amazon to sell DRM-free tracks through its online music store.

The addition of Warner brings the number of DRM-free tracks on Amazon MP3 to 2.9 million, more than any other online music service. Amazon already has deals with many independent labels, as well as majors EMI and Universal.

In an effort to supplant iTunes, it also priced many of its tracks at 89 cents, 10 cents cheaper than its bigger rival. So far, exact numbers of downloads have not been reported, although the service has generally received positive reviews.

Albums on the service range from $5.99 to $9.99, and in an effort to spur use, the top 100 tracks are typically priced at 89 cents, with albums generally available for $8.99 or less. Tracks are encoded at 256kbps.

"As DRM-free music, which does not come with all the annoying and ineffectual restrictions of copyright-protected tunes, becomes more popular, you can expect the labels to use their acquiescence as a bargaining chip with Apple," Erick Shonfeld wrote for TechCrunch.

In addition to the tracks and albums, Warner also announced that it will make available special bundles such as albums with exclusive tracks. No pricing structure for those offers was announced.