Whoa. Remember all that speculation about EMI Records selling unencrypted music downloads? Turns out, they really were serious. They’ll be selling DRM-free MPEG-4 audio files at 256 kbps, as well as DRM-free music videos, via the iTunes store. The catch is that the unprotected audio files will cost an additional 30¢ (videos will remain at the same price), but that’s a small price to pay for tunes that will work on any MPEG-4-compatible player (and that can be easily converted for use on any other).

So when’s this going to be offered? The Unofficial Apple Weblog reports that this will begin some time in May.

A reasonable decision from an RIAA label… you’d think this was some sort of April Fool, but nope, it’s real. Color me amazed. (And now I’m really wondering when the Beatles catalog will be added; they are, after all, on an EMI label…)