www.amazonmp3.com

Downloads are 256K MP3 with no DRM. Songs are 89 or 99 cents and albums vary but most (all?) are $9.99 or less. Two of the big labels are represented and the selection is pretty decent. The interface is typical Amazon including their effective recommendations engine. Artist descriptions are from AMG (allmusic.com) but, unfortunately, not for individual albums.

This is the first digital music store that I can support without reservation. The quality, lack of restrictions and price are all acceptable. I really hope this is the beginning of a new model for music distribution and someday we'll look back on the past 10 years of digital music and laugh at how ridiculous it was. I'm excited because this is the service I've been waiting for a long time. The labels that support this will be getting my money again.

I'm pretty impressed with the service too, and I really hope Amazon can get some of the labels on board with the non-DRM. Unfortunately a quick search of some of my favorite artists yielded few results. Of the four bands I searched for, I only found albums for one. Granted, I was looking for some obscure ones, but they're really going to have to work hard to add artists to their store.

Personally, I won't be buying music from any of these stores. I rarely buy any brand new releases these days, and the everything else I've gotten off of the Amazon Marketplace. I can get a CD that's still in very good shape for less than $5, and even with shipping I come out ahead of buying an album at any online store. Plus, I have the physical CD, and I can rip it however I choose (FLAC, these days). There's just something about having the liner art...