In a move to big-up the MP3 music format while simultaneously hammering another nail into that pesky DRM's half-buried coffin, seven of Britain's largest music download websites have joined forces to promote the 'MP3 compatible' logo.
HMV, 7digital, Woolworths, Play.com, Tescodigital, Tunetribe and Digitalstores have all signed up to the initiative, championed by the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA). When downloaders see the logo, they'll know the available MP3 files are compatible with PCs, Macs and most portable music players.
The British record industry's trade association (the BPI) is backing the scheme in the hope that it will help consumers easily identify legal sites. Support from MP3-player manufacturers is also being sought.
Good idea?
Unifying credible MP3-sellers certainly seems like a step in the right direction for the future of music downloads. If MusicRadar sold MP3s, we'd probably sign-up. Although a bit of colour on the logo wouldn't hurt. Blue, maybe…
