Apple Keeps Humming

Even attempts by music companies related to DRM-protected CDs haven't worked. In some cases, like with Sony(SNE Quote), it backfired badly. Sony's DRM-protected CD was actually denounced as spyware, and resulted in class-action lawsuits.

But any fears that consumers could take music from iTunes and put it on rival digital players like Microsoft's Zune may be overblown, according to Gene Munster, senior research analyst with Piper Jaffray.

"While this enables savvy users to put iTunes downloads on their MP3 player of choice, it will not sync as simply as an iPod does with iTunes," he wrote in a research report. "We believe this will keep most users from using their MP3 players other than iPods with iTunes." Piper Jaffray makes a market in Apple shares.

Jobs agrees with this. Just about 3% of the music on the average iPod is purchased from the iTunes store and protected with DRM, he has said.

For Apple, this move could signal the next evolutionary change in the iPod/iTunes empire.