Get your music off iTunes but often opt for the DRM-laden versions due to the cheaper price of $.99? Worry no more, friend. Apple has officially lowered the price of iTunes Plus tracks to 99-cents, down from $1.29. The move comes as competitors like Universal and Amazon.com have started offering DRM-free alternatives to iTunes.

Now that DRM-free tunes are cheaper, will you seek them out in bulk? I know my first purchase is definitely going to be Cutting Crew. Dreamy synth hooks…

Apple Reduces Prices on iT

Apple is dropping the price of iTunes Plus songs by thirty cents, from $1.29 to 99 cents. Not all of the songs have seen a price drop yet, including the only iTunes Plus songs I ever bought (The Knife’s “Like a Pen” set of remixes), but that seems to be just a function of time. All such songs will be 99 cents in anticipation of an expansion of its indie music catalog, expected to be completed by tomorrow.

And why, pray tell, is Apple dropping the price? It could be in response to AmazonMP3 or it could be that Jobs simply declared it so. Either way, we win, and I feel like a jerk for paying 30 cents more per track a few months ago than I would now. Wonderful.

iTunes Plus DRM-free tracks expanding, dropping to 99 cents [Ars Technica]

Sales numbers are coming in a few weeks after EMI’s foray into DRM-free music. The result? “Good”, says EMI senior VP Lauren Berkowitz. In fact, sales for several artists have increased, even as their CD counterparts have gone down in price. Sales for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon are up 272% since the launch of iTunes Plus, which was the first service to introduce the DRM-free tracks. Amazon will soon join them, as well as f.y.e., 7 digital and possibly a few other services. Hopefully these promising trends continue so other labels feel comfortable following EMI’s lead.

EMI says DRM-free music is selling well [ars technica]

The start of a DRM-free music revolution has arrived. Well, maybe not a revolution, but at least a new version of iTunes. Version 7.2 brings a new feature called “iTunes Plus” to the table. Purchasing a song with iTunes Plus enabled allows you to purchase DRM-free, 256Kbps AAC tracks from the iTMS. You can set it on or off in your iTunes preferences.

Excited? Ease up, Tiger. iTunes Plus tracks aren’t yet available for purchase. I’d say expect to see them hitting iTMS in the next two weeks, as Apple is really going to be pushing this update. Oh, and if you want to upgrade your regular iTunes songs to iTunes Plus, an upgrade option is available.

Apple releases iTunes 7.2, with iTunes Plus DRM-free music [iLounge]

Update: iTunes Plus tracks are appearing and are now available for purchase.