iTunes Lowers Price of DRM-Free Tracks

Apple has silently dropped the price of its DRM-free iTunes Plus tracks, which come as 256kbps AAC. Instead of $1.29, the tracks will cost the same as standard songs with DRM: 99-cents. The move is seemingly in response to Amazon's launch of its DRM-free music store that sells 256kbps MP3s for between 89 cents to 99 cents each.

Although the iTunes Plus songs were individually $1.29, Apple usually sold full iTunes Plus albums at the same price as their DRM counterpart. The company is expected to make an official announcement Wednesday, along with bulking up its DRM-free offering with additional independent labels.