Now iTunes is not just for iPods

The move coincides with a decision by EMI is to scrap the 'digital lock' on downloads of music from its artists, who range from Coldplay to the Beatles and Norah Jones.

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Digital revolution: Eric Nicoli (left), Chief executive officer of EMI, musician Damon Albarn and Apple's Steve Jobs at the launch of iTunes premium download service allowing users to play tracks on any digital music player

Currently this lock prevents a buyer from making multiple copies of a digital download to be enjoyed on an MP3 player, a mobile phone or burned onto a CD.

However, EMI is doing away with the system known as DRM - digital rights management - in a move to deliver new 'premium' downloads.

The news was announced at a joint press conferece with Apple, the creator of the iPod and iTunes.

EMI claims the new downloads offer much greater clarity and quality, making them equivalent to shop-bought CDs.

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While the company and Apple insist the change will offer consumers much more flexibility and convenience over how they want to listen to their music.

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However, all this will come at a price. For the new premium downloads will be more expensive - at 99p for a single track compared to 79p.

Consumers who have already purchased standard tracks or albums with DRM will be able to upgrade their digital music for 20p per track.

The DRM lock is used across the music industry as a block on the acitivities of pirates to copy and sell music downloaded from the web.

However the restrictions have been resented by consumers and - to some extent - have held back sales and growth of the digital download market.

The regime has also prevented Apple's iTunes from selling music to the MP3 players offered by other manufacturers.

EMI chief executive, Eric Nicoli), said: "Our goal is to give consumers the best possible digital music experience.

"By providing DRM-free downloads, we aim to address the lack of interoperability which is frustrating for many music fans.

"We believe that offering consumers the opportunity to buy higher quality tracks and listen to them on the device or platform of their choice will boost sales of digital music."

EMI's move follows a series of experiments where it released Norah Jones's "Thinking About You", Relient K's "Must've Done Something Right", and Lily Allen's "Littlest Things" in MP3 format without DRM.

The removal of the digital lock means that Apple's iTunes will start selling and downloading EMI's output to any MP3 player.

This is a high risk strategy for Apple because consumers will no longer have to own an iPod to connect to the iTunes store.

The Apple chief executive, Steve Jobs, predicted that half the music sold via iTunes will be free of the DRM lock by the end of this year.

He added: "Selling digital music DRM-free is the right step forward for the music industry.

"EMI has been a great partner for iTunes and is once again leading the industry as the first major music company to offer its entire digital catalogue DRM-free."