According to Digital Music News, Wal-Mart has stripped its online music store of all Sony BMG and WMG artists, while also announcing that it's ditching DRM. Although it will surely be a temporary breakup, Wal-Mart decided to do away with the Sony BMG and WMG catalogs because it couldn't strike a deal with the two majors due to its decision to go DRM-free. (Keep in mind that we're talking about the digital catalog -- Wal-Mart still sells Sony BMG and WMG CDs.)
Wal-Mart currently has lower prices than iTunes at 88-cents a track, but its digital selection has now been significantly diminished. And, of course, Wal-Mart's successes in pricing and catalog are in its physical products, so any decisions regarding its digital music store won't be industry-shaking until it makes actual waves in selling digital music. But ditching DRM is a positive sign at the very least.
