Online retailer giant, Amazon.com said on Wednesday it plans to launch an online digital music store later this year, offering millions of songs in the DRM-free MP3 format from more than 12,000 record labels.

This follows a similar announcement made earlier last month by Apple and EMI, which also allowed the iPod maker to sell EMI Music’s entire digital catalog on its online music store, iTunes, DRM-free(without copy protection).

The online retailer however, Amazon begs to differ with its upcoming digital music store, the EMI Music’s digital catalog will be available exclusively in the MP3 format instead of Apple’s AAC format, also without digital rights management (DRM) or copy protection.

Digital Rights Management or (DRM) is a software plug-in technology that prevents users from playing songs in more than one computer or to be shared over the internet.

Amazon’s DRM-free MP3s will free customers to play their music on virtually any of their personal devices — including PCs, Macs, iPods, Zunes, Zens — and to burn songs to CDs for personal use, says the online retailer.

“Our MP3-only strategy means all the music that customers buy on Amazon is always DRM-free and plays on any device,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO.

“We’re excited to have EMI joining us in this effort and look forward to offering our customers MP3s from amazing artists like Coldplay, Norah Jones and Joss Stone.” Bezos added.