Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple, has urged the world's largest record companies to begin selling songs online without security software.

He said the abolition of copy protection software known as digital rights management (DRM) would be good for consumers and music suppliers.

Copyright protection had failed to tackle piracy, he argued.

The firm behind the iPod has been under pressure to make its iTunes music store compatible with other music players.

Consumer rights groups in several European countries have lodged complaints with the firm over the incompatibility of iTunes with other music players.

The abolition of DRM would enable all MP3 users to access music from any online music store, including iTunes, Mr Jobs said.

"This is clearly the best alternative for consumers and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat," he said in a statement on Apple's website.

Analysts said such a move would benefit Apple as the market leader in the digital music marketplace.

Apple's iTunes store has sold about 2 billion songs since launching in 2003, and accounts for more than 70% of the US digital music market.

Mr Jobs said that if DRM safeguards were dropped, Apple would be in a position to create a download system that could work with devices other than iPods, including Microsoft's recently launched Zune music player.

He called on the world's four biggest music labels - Universal Music, EMI, Sony BMG Music and Warner Music - to begin selling their music catalogues without DRM restrictions.

"I think Steve is finally saying something he has wanted to say for a long time," said James McQuivey, an analyst with Forrester Research.

"He is not saying this just to grandstand. He really thinks this could open up the market."