Universal to Sell Songs for Downloading

In a bid to combat piracy, Universal Music Group plans to make available today more than 43,000 songs that can be downloaded through two dozen online retailers, significantly expanding the supply of legitimate music on the Internet.

The music, which will sell for 99 cents per track or $9.99 per album, will be in a format that cannot be copied but can be recorded onto a CD. The company plans to make up to 60,000 songs available for downloading, with the initial release including an advance copy of the new single from pop singer Mariah Carey.