Apple has finally pulled the long-anticipated trigger and begun selling DRM-free songs from EMI on iTunes, reports InformationWeek.

The non-copyright-protected files will be sold through a sub-section of the iTunes Music Store, dubbed iTunes Plus. Songs in this section are priced at $1.29 per track versus the standard $0.99 fee.

Records from classic rock artists like Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd, as well as newer artists Joss Stone and Norah Jones, are all available as DRM-free tracks.

The move is meant to encourage iTunes compatibility with any MP3 player on the market and increase the iTunes share of the digital music download market.

Amazon has a similar DRM-free music store in the planning stages for later this year.