Unlike Apple's iTunes, Napster's catalogue of over six million songs can be burned to CD and transferred to other devices as they are free of DRM (digital rights management) technology. The can also be played on any MP3 player.

Napster has secured deals with all the major and independent record labels and will sell individual songs for 99 cents (about 79p).

Chris Gorog, Napster boss, said that the new service moved online music from "under the DRM cloud."

Up until now Napster has focused on selling "all-you-can-eat" monthly streaming subscription packages but struggled to win over customers who wanted to transfer songs to portable devices such as the market-leading iPod.

The move by Napster is seen as cementing the shift away from digital locks being placed on music.

"It's great that we have finally gotten here. It is really the beginning of a level playing field, which I think is essential for Napster, but also for the health of the digital music business in general," said Gorog.

Although Napster is available in the UK, the new MP3 store will only be available in the US for the time being.

www.napster.co.uk

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