Apple now displays parental advisory warnings on iTunes music

Digital music sellers, including Apple, Amazon, HMV and Napster, have agreed to start displaying the official Parental Advisory warning label on tracks and albums on their respective music marketplaces, moving to mirror labels printed on physical CDs and DVDs.

The Telegraph reports that Apple, Amazon, HMV, Napster UK, eMusic, 7digital, Tesco and Vevo (a music video website) will display the warning, providing parents with a way of knowing if music that is being downloaded may be unsuitable for a younger audience.

In addition to the digital rollout, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has launched a new website: parental-advisory.co.uk. The site is a resource for parents to learn more about the warnings but also for music labels and digital music sellers to sign up to the voluntary scheme.

The BPI does not force retailers to display the notice, acknowledging that some companies may choose to use their own means of warning customers of the content that they provide.

Until recently, Apple fell into this category, displaying the Explicit tag next to each of the tracks it deemed would be unsuitable for younger audiences. However, Apple now displays the ‘Parental Advisory’ logo underneath the album artwork on the iTunes Music Store (shown above) — putting more support behind the scheme.

With increasing numbers of young people buying their music online instead of bricks-and-mortar stores, the roll out of the warning will help parents especially over the Christmas period as their children spend their vouchers and money on digital downloads for their Apple devices.