This CNET News story reports that Apple and music publisher EMI have announced that EMI will offer DRM-free music from their catalogue via Apple's iTunes download service. The EMI DRM-free music will have better sound quality but will cost $1.29 per song compared to the normal 99 cents that's the standard on iTunes (Albums will be priced the same, however). Here is an excerpt with quotes from Apple's CEO Steve Jobs:

Jobs, who stressed the need for higher-quality music with the rise of high-fidelity home speaker systems, called EMI's move "the next big step forward in the digital-music revolution--the movement to completely interoperable DRM-free music." He added that "Apple will reach out to all the major and independent labels to give them the same opportunity."

Jobs expressed confidence in Apple's plan to offer the premium DRM-free tracks alongside standard ones. "What we're adding is a choice--a new choice," Jobs said regarding Apple's decision to make available two levels of sound quality and of DRM restriction. He suggested that half of iTunes' music tracks will be available in both DRM-loaded and DRM-free form by the end of 2007.