DRM-free music streaming

April 12, 2006

Plenty of devices let you stream music from your PC to your home stereo, but all of them to date have suffered from various DRM (digital rights management) roadblocks. That meant you were in the clear if your music collection consisted entirely of home-ripped MP3s, but if you purchased your digital music from an online store, it was left marooned on your PC. While many recent digital media adapters can handle some of the copy-protected files, there was always an annoying caveat. For instance: the Roku SoundBridge M1000 can handle Rhapsody and PlaysForSure files purchased from Napster and Musicmatch, but it can't stream FairPlay songs purchased from the iTunes Music Store. Conversely, the Apple AirPort Express is alone in its ability to stream songs purchased from iTunes--but it's not compatible with music from any other services.

Finally, after years of being locked into such all-or-nothing choices, there are some alternatives available. The three products below can stream any audio from your PC, regardless of its source, copyright protection, or format. The Linksys WMB54G sends the audio to your stereo over your existing Wi-Fi network but requires a fair degree of networking know-how to get up and running. The Logitech products, on the other hand, use a proprietary wireless system, but they offer a plug-and-play approach that nontechies will undoubtedly appreciate.

More resources

MP3 Insider: I want a dual-DRM iPod Music compatibility wizard

CNET Music Center: software and services Understanding on-the-go music subscription services