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The company has also switched focus from its monthly subscription model to concentrate on per-track downloads, although both options will be supported by the online service.

Over six million songs are available from the store at 79p each, and the removal of the "DRM cloud" will give

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customers more freedom to do as they please with their purchases, says Napster boss Chris Gorog.

Napster's monthly subscription model charges users $10 or $15 per month to access tracks for as long as their subscription remains active. DRM technology renders files unusable once this payment is canceled.

Download customers will now be able to purchase tracks individually, and these will remain active permanently.

The only other music store to sell DRM-free tracks from all four major music labels, which together publish the vast majority of popular music, is Amazon. However, the company is yet to offer the service within Europe.

A host of small online music sellers have sprung up in recent months, some with licensing deals to supply music from one or two of the large labels, but the race to become the first to offer a comprehensive catalogue has been extremely competitive.