MIDEM 2008: Amazon say remember us?

Although Amazon haven't bothered to send anyone to MIDEM, they've taken the opportunity of the event to announce plans to roll out their DRM free MP3 store internationally.

Or, rather, if not actually announce plans, to mention that it might happen, and just about loud enough to try and take the shine off some other announcements:

"We have received thousands of emails from Amazon customers around the world asking us when we will make Amazon MP3 available outside of the US," Amazon.com VP of digital music, Bill Carr, said.

"We are excited to tell those customers today that Amazon MP3 is going international this year."

Of course, "going international this year" might mean a 100-territory roll out before Valentines Day, or a Polish store sometime late December. The lack of any real information in the announcement lends itself to the suggestion the latter might be more likely.

Ironically, of course, the main effect of Amazon's announcement was to take attention away from the QTrax offering - which worked against Amazon's interests, leaving the headlines hanging without much overview of the detail. Downloads still not working, by the way.