New York - Major label Sony BMG (NYSE: SNE) is planning to start selling songs without digital rights management (DRM) software some time in the first quarter, making it the last major to begin in earnest to offer at least some of its catalog in the MP3 format, BusinessWeek.com reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Sony BMG has been experimenting with DRM-free song distribution for about six months, including promotional downloads for emerging artists, and participation by bigger artists like Justin Timberlake in Pepsi's one billion song giveaway Super Bowl promotion through Amazon's MP3 download store.

"A lot of these tests have led people to believe that maybe this works," an unidentified Sony BMG executive told BusinessWeek.com.

Fellow major label Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG) recently announced plans to add its catalog to Amazon's (NSDQ: AMZN) MP3 store, while EMI and Universal Music Group began selling DRM-free music through various retailers earlier last year.

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