Vodafone has announced deals with three of the four largest record companies that will enable it to offer Digital Rights Management (DRM)-free music to subscribers, irrespective of device. Universal, Sony and EMI have signed up, whilst Reuters reports that the world’s largest mobile operator by revenue is also in talks with Warner. “The new deals are the first of their kind for a mobile network operator, enabling dual delivery of DRM-free music to a wide range of mobile phones and PCs with no need to sideload or synchronise,” said Vodafone in a statement. “With over a million tracks available from every music genre, for the first time customers will be able to play and enjoy music bought from these three labels via the Vodafone Music store without any limit to the type of device, provided they belong to the customer.” DRM-free services will be available in Germany, Italy, UK, Spain and New Zealand by the summer, and Vodafone’s other global markets “in due course.”

Recent media reports have also linked Nokia with a similar move for its music store and Comes With Music package. All four big music companies recently agreed a deal with Apple. Reuters notes that the music industry has relied on DRM as the cornerstone in its fight against illegal downloading but the labels are now offering tracks without the restrictive protection in a bid to drive digital sales. In some regions of the world music sales via mobile are already outstripping other digital formats, as well as traditional formats such as CDs.