This news about Yahoo may really be a downer. The Yahoo Music Unlimited will finally reach its limits. According to a recent report by Ars Technica, Yahoo already informed their music subscribers that its DRM servers will shut down in Sept. 30. This is not the end for Yahoo music subscribers however as the portal giant told the media that its subscribers would be transferred to Rhapsody.

This scenario isn’t the first as Microsoft earlier stopped MSN Music on the premise that DRM-protected music shall work up to 2011.

This means that DRM licensed music will only work on the computer where the music was originally downloaded. So if the user will alter his computer, or make a big system or software changes on it, the music will not play anymore. Changes such as operating system upgrade or downgrade will stop DRM from working.

Yahoo however said that this is not the end for their subscribers as they mentioned a solution: CD ripping. Ars Technica puts the suggestion this way: “Sure, you’ll lose a bunch of blank CDs, sound quality, and all the metadata, but that’s a small price to pay for the privilege of being able to listen to that music you lawfully acquired. Good thing you didn’t download it illegally or just buy it on CD!”

Yahoo told Information Week on the other hand that it will offer reimbursement. However the reimbursement is not guaranteed as it is a case-to-case basis.

Yahoo Music Unlimited is a cheap service tagged at $8.99 a month. Rhapsody on the other hand charges $12.99. Subscribers will get to keep the low rate “for a limited time.” Consumers who bought music and transfer to Rhapsody can play it there although Yahoo recommends burning it to CD.

Source: WashingtonPost