Amazon gives UK customers free MP3 download of any CD bought from retailer since 1999 via AutoRip

Customers who have bought an album from Amazon will be able to download an MP3 file of the record for free.

The newly launched AutoRip music service will enable customers to stream or download MP3 files from CDs, vinyls or cassettes bought since 1999.

Amazon has struck deals with major and independent music labels to make more than 350,000 albums available through the service.

From today, any new purchase will automatically be added to customers’ Amazon Cloud Player - where they can download it for free.

The music can be downloaded as 256Kbps MP3 files, or streamed from Amazon’s servers to computers, smartphones and tablets, including iOS and Android devices as well as Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets.

It comes as the company revealed its bestselling albums in the UK since the site was launched 14 years ago. Adele topped the number one and two spots with her albums 21 and 19, followed by Take That’s Progress at number three.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, said: “What would you say if you bought CDs, vinyl or even cassettes from a company 14 years ago, and then 14 years later that company licensed the rights from the record companies to give you the MP3 versions of those albums… and then to top it off, did that for you automatically and for free?

“Well, starting today, it’s available to all of our Amazon.co.uk customers – past, present, and future – at no cost. We love these opportunities to do something extra for our customers.”

Top 10 albums sold on Amazon.co.uk since 1999

1. Adele, 21

2. Adele, 19

3. Take That, Progress

4. Susan Boyle, I Dreamed A Dream

5. Various artists, Now That’s What I Call Music! 83

6. Kings of Leon, Only By The Night

7. Amy Winehouse, Back To Black (Bonus track)

8. Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More

9. Various artists, Now That’s What I Call Music! 80

10. Various artists, Now That’s What I Call Music! 77