4 January, 2010

Money Saving Tip: Free, Legal Music Downloads

The New York Times reported this week about an all new web site, FreeAllMusic.com, that will allow users to download free music – legally. The catch? Users must watch advertisements before downloading. For those interested in saving money (that’s me) and still enjoying new music (also me) the site sounds like it may be a winner.

The site, which has been described as a mix between iTunes and Hulu.com, will work like this when it goes public in January:

  • You select a song to download.
  • You choose a commercial to view (several companies, including Coca-Cola, Warner Brothers Television and Zappos.com have reportedly already signed on).
  • You view a 15 – 30 second ad.
  • You download a song.
  • The company whose ad you saw pays for the song.

According to the Times, two of four major record labels have so far agreed to make their music available on the site. And 10-15 seconds for a lifetime of listens sounds like a good deal.

The Details

In theory, the site will offer a win-win-win situation for those involved:

  • Record companies get revenue from advertisers for songs that could have otherwise been illegally downloaded.
  • Users get free, legal songs, which means no fear of retribution in the form of fines or restrictions.
  • Advertisers get a unique venue to hawk their products and services – theoretically to an audience interested in hearing about them. Plus, there’s the guarantee that an intended audience is actually seeing an ad (rather than, say, fast forwarding it on a DVR).

Besides the ad viewing requirement, FreeAllMusic.com restricts downloads in other ways; specifically, users apparently cannot download more than five songs in a single session, and not more than 20 songs per month. Still, 20 songs is about two albums.

The downloads, according to the Times, will be compatible on both Macs and PCs, and the company is currently planning to develop future versions of the site that will be compatible with smart phones.

Save Money, Spread the Sound

You want to jam, but don’t want to file bankruptcy. Sources note that the site will also include an option that allows users to post their recent downloads to their Facebook or Twitter accounts and as banner ads around the Web. The announcements would include usernames, songs downloaded and sponsoring companies, and would apparently be used both to generate buzz and to increase revenue for the site.

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