Microsoft is changing its tune on DRM-free music. The company is now planning to follow Apple’s lead, selling music from EMI DRM-free.

“The EMI announcement on Monday was not exclusive to Apple,” said Katy Asher, a Microsoft spokeswoman on the Zune team. “Consumers have made it clear that unprotected music is something they want. We plan on offering it to them as soon as our label partners are comfortable with it.”

As recently as February, Jason Reindorp, marketing director for Microsoft‚Äôs Zune portable media player, called Steve Job’s challenge to the music industry to drop DRM “irresponsible, or at the very least na√Øve.”