Amazon to Launch MP3 Download Store in May

Online retail giant Amazon.com is poised to launch its own digital music download store in May that will sell songs in the unprotected MP3 format, Billboard reported.

Amazon declined to comment for the story on its entry into a market currently dominated by Apple's iTunes Store.

Label sources told Billboard that some are waiting until after it launches, or until a major label signs on before they decide whether to support the service; others are negotiating with Amazon over a premium price to be charged for higher-fidelity 256K MP3 downloads.

Billboard also reports that major label Universal Music Group plans to test the sale of unprotected songs at the Amazon store and other retailers, including some of its classical catalog and music from other genres.

The news follows fellow major label EMI's recent announcement that it would sell songs as unprotected MP3s on iTunes and other services.

Amazon ditched plans last year to launch a subscription-based service utilizing Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format, after Microsoft closed off its Zune player to competing services.