Amazon Reportedly To Offer Downloads By Summer

Stories are surfacing everywhere that Amazon is in serious talks with all for major label groups about starting a music download and subscription services as early as this summer.  This could be  good news for those in the industry hoping for a serious competitor to iTunes. 

Amazon would be a late entry into the digital music space and appears to have been taking it’s time as they looked for a way to create a clear point of differentiation from Apples dominant presence. One possibility that surfaced in this week’s wall street journal is that the Amazon may be eying creation of their own branded music player with built in compatibility just like the iPod/iTunes pairing but using WMA or other more widely compatible digital rights management than Apple’s proprietary DRM.  This new pairing could also solve many of the compatibility glitches that have plagued other device manufacturers and digital services. Early reports also had Amazon offering instant downloads alongside any CD purchase. 

These strategies coupled with Amazon’s customer service and marketing acumen could prove a powerful competitor in an evolving market.