As Download Services Go DRM Free Where Are The Indies?

NEW YORK (Hypebot) — As the major download services add DRM-free tracks from EMI and Universal, where is music from the indies?

Indie music after all makes up 70-80% of all new releases by volume and 30% of sales. And it's not that indie labels don't want to sell DRM-free to iTunes, Walmart.com, Rhapsody and others. Most indies already sell DRM-free at bargain prices via eMusic. And even a usually selective Wal-Mart has virtually unlimited shelf space in their digital storefront.

It can't be that the programming is too difficult. After, all these sites just added thousands of tracks from EMI and Universal with just a few weeks notice. Is it the cost? Most already sell hundreds of thousands of indie tracks with DRM. Why not at least experiment selectively with key indie tracks or labels DRM-free?

Most consumers don't shop labels. They look for songs and artists. Not until these downloads stores sell DRM-free tracks from both indie and major labels will the industry see the effects of untethered tracks on both sales and innovation.