Universal Music has launched a new DRM-free music service in the UK.

Lost Tunes will focus on distributing older and hard-to-find content from the company's catalogue.

The store will not attempt to compete with larger services such as iTunes and Rhapsody over new releases, but to cater to those looking for older, more obscure tracks.

In addition to classic rock and pop titles, the store also features archived reggae, blues, soul and spoken word catalogues.

Featured artists on the site include folk singer Sandy Denny, British rock pioneer Billy Fury and 1990s pop mainstays 10,000 Maniacs.

"Think of us as your small local record store, run by a team dedicated to helping you find the very best music," the front page of the site suggests.

"And not only that, but Lost Tunes comes with a secret stash of records you can't find anywhere else online."

Individual song downloads cost 99p, while the price for full albums varies. The song files are sold without DRM protections and can be freely copied to CD or a portable media player.

Lost Tunes is currently exclusive to the UK, although the company is reportedly looking to expand to other regions.