News reports that Microsoft may offer DRM-free music strike me as odd. If the goal of shedding DRM on music services is to induce more interoperability between digital media and devices, then why does Microsoft need to wait for anybody when other means are available to meet those ends? Microsoft may be playing a PR game to build-up consumer expectation, but should consider that it can deliver on expectations and provide benefit to consumers now, rather than waiting for EMI, by providing more interoperability between its own DRM systems.

Excluding prohibitions in its agreements with the music labels, which I think is unlikely, to give consumers more value Microsoft can simply enable compatibility between the DRM system involved in its Zune business line, with DRM schemes the firm already licenses out or provides through its other media offerings. The main drawback of such an approach may reside in Redmond not tapping into the popularity of current DRM-free consumer sentiments, which has given Apple a boost in public opinion.

If Microsoft is not enabling interoperability between its own DRM systems because it needs to leverage fragmented DRM to sell Zune players, that’s understandable. Apple followed a similar strategy with the iPod. However, if Microsoft is playing with the currency of PR-buzz, consumers may not be too happy when it finally delivers DRM-free music.