As talks between Apple and major music companies ramp up this month, the biggest topic on the floor will no doubt be the issue of DRM-free music. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has long been steadfast on the 99-cent price for a song on iTunes, but now he's willing to go higher in exchange for DRM-free tracks.

"At this point, no one can ignore Apple or what Apple wants, given its position in the marketplace," said Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg. "The fact that they were able to do this deal with EMI puts more pressure on some of the other labels to follow suit."

According to the San Jose Mercury, at least two major recording companies will ask Jobs to "sell a wider variety of content in digital bundles of songs, videos and other multimedia." This from two recording company executives familiar with their companies' plans. Apple already offers bundled tracks, but the companies hope that expanding these offerings can boost revenue.