Apple Computers gave more information about their download website yesterday, confirming that over 200,000 tracks from the back catalogues of all five major labels will be available to download at 99 cents (62p) a time.
Announcing the new site Apple boss Steve Jobs told reporters: "It's not free, but it's 99 cents a song, pretty doggone close. There's no legal alternative that's worth beans." Once music fans have paid their 99 cents they can make as many copies as they like via their CD burner.
The service has been set up more as a way of promoting Mac's technology than to be a money making venture in itself. The service will be initially reserved for Mac users, though a Windows version will go online later this year. Meanwhile the company used the same press conference to launch a new range of iPod digital music player which are thinner, lighter but have bigger hard drives.
Jobs didn't make any further comment on the rumours his company plans to buy out Universal's music operations.