Orange is to offer up to 2 million Digital Rights Management (DRM)-free music downloads for customers across Europe in a major refresh of its dual mobile and web portal service, the Orange Music Store. 
The new-look Web and Wap music store went live in the UK last week, giving customers access to over 700,000 DRM-free tracks through a simpler interface. In a gradual roll-out, Orange will convert its entire catalogue of 2 million tracks from rights-protected to DRM-free. 
The Orange Music Store, first launched in 2005 and present in nine markets, already gives customers dual access on web and mobile to the full catalogue of 2 million downloadable tracks from the worlds largest record companies, including Universal Music, Warner Music, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI Music, as well as prominent indie labels.  
All the tracks that appear in the store will now be DRM-free. Customers only need to make one payment to receive two files: a DRM-free MP3 file for the PC and an over-the-air (OTA) download for the mobile phone. They can then use their purchased music however they like, whether listening to it on their mobile phone, sharing it with another PC, burning it to CD or transferring to a personal MP3 player.
Following the UK launch, the new DRM-free Orange Music Store will open in France, Switzerland, Romania, Slovakia, Portugal and other countries throughout 2009. It will have a clearer and simpler format, with enhanced browsing and navigation to make it easier to discover and download music.
Theres huge consumer appetite for music on the move, and with our DRM-free music catalogue and the new-look Music Store, we have effectively removed all the current barriers preventing customers from enjoying music the way they want to, says Orange Vice-President of Music, Laurence Le Ny. By providing a more seamless experience across PC and mobile, our music partners can make their content available to millions of European customers, letting them enjoy a vast collection of music any way they want.
At launch customers can enjoy DRM-free music through the new portal. In the next phase, the Orange Music Store will also feature improved search, faster billing processes, personalized recommendations, user community features and more.