Amazon to launch auto rip an effort to sex up CDs

LAS VEGAS--The compact disc has long been left for dead by most tech savvy music fans, but Amazon apparently still sees some life left in the format.

Amazon managers are expected to announce soon that CD buyers will from now on automatically receive copies of the same tracks stored in their Amazon cloud, free of charge, multiple sources with knowledge of the plan told CNET. The cloud-stored tunes can then be accessed from Web-enabled devices. This is easily the most significant announcement involving the CD in years.

The feature is being referred internally as "auto rip," but the sources cautioned the name could change. An Amazon representative wasn't immediately available. I'll update as soon as I hear back from them.

Amazon is also mulling a plan to store songs from past CD purchases, also free of charge, according to the sources. That could represent a lot of songs. A decade ago, before iTunes, Amazon sold a lot of discs. It was CEO Jeff Bezos who was king of online music sales.

The strategy is similar to what Hollywood has done in the past year. Five of the six Hollywood studios are trying to breathe life into DVD and Blu-ray discs with an effort they call UltraViolet. A consortium of film studios, hardware and software companies teamed together to develop standards for distributing movies in the cloud. The major studios want consumers buying and collecting movies again instead of renting them.

One of the ways they're trying to generate interest is by rewarding buyers of DVD and Blu-ray discs with a copy they store in the cloud. It would seem the entertainment industry hasn't given up on physical media and to be sure there's a good reason for that.

Lots of people still buy discs. According to 2012 music sales compiled by research firm Nielsen Soundscan, the CD is still the dominate music format but it continues to decline. Sales fell 12.8 percent last year while digital album sales increased 14 percent and digital tracks rose 5 percent.

Nonetheless, Amazon, which is well back of Apple's iTunes in music sales, will be able to tell the large number of consumers who still prefer their music on disc, that they're getting more value for their money.