Steve Jobs Hates DRM

In a piece called "Thoughts on Music," Apple's leader lashes out at the very hand that's fed the huge success of the iPod:

Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats. In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat. If the big four music companies would license Apple their music without the requirement that it be protected with a DRM, we would switch to selling only
DRM-free music on our iTunes store. Every iPod ever made will play this
DRM-free music.

The irony here is that the runaway success of the iPod has fueled the success of the iTunes Music Store -- it's a closed ecosystem. If you want to buy music online legally that plays on your iPod, your only choice for major label content is iTunes.

Jobs argues that the average iPod owner has purchased only 22 tracks from iTunes, and that such a small investment in music isn't a true deterrent to choice. But I don't think there are many users who have bought 22 tracks. I think that there are either people (like me) who have ripped all their own music, and aren't beholden to the iTunes Store, or people who have bought quite a bit more music than 22 tracks, which has the economic effect of locking them in.

Still, it's wonderful to see Jobs coming out publicly saying that Apple would sell DRM-free music if they were allowed to by the recording industry. On the short list of people whose opinions on this issue could actually change the status quo, Jobs is near the top, and let's cross our fingers that this very strong statement could actually push the BMGs and EMIs of the world to reconsider their actively consumer-hostile stand.

(UPDATE: This is a popular issue today here at Wired. Read commentary from The Listening Post's Eliot van Burskirk and Cult of Mac's Leander Kahney)