Hank Risen, the owner of BlueBeat.com, which was found last week to be selling MP3s of the Beatles' catalogue for as little as 15p per track, has defiantly stated that he owns the copyrights in the songs that he's selling.

EMI filed a lawsuit against the company, and Hank Risen - the owner - has issued a bizarre defense filing that claims that he - not Apple Corps or EMI - owns the sound recordings. He says that because he's re-recorded them using "psycho-acoustic simulation" which "express the way [he] believe[s] a particular melody should be heard as a live performance", he owns the recording.

Risan told EMI in an email that he's got a successfully registered copyright on those recordings with the US Copyright Office, but a judge will now have to decide whether those recordings are sufficiently different to the originals to justify a new copyright. Legal precedent, particularly with regard to sampling, suggests he might be facing an uphill battle.

For now, though, BlueBeat.com still continues to offer free streams of the Beatles' catalogue, and 25-cent 160kbps MP3s. It'll be interesting to see how the judge in the case interprets the law. We'll keep you posted.

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Tags: Audio Music BlueBeat EMI Beatles Copyright Music downloads Lawsuits

BlueBeat claims it owns copyright in Beatles tracks originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:03:24 +0000

Rihanna will show off songs from her forthcoming album "Rated R" exclusively to a Nokia audience via a globally streamed live performance on 16 November.

Due to be performed live from "a secret London location", fans can sign up to watch the live stream now while those that are really excited about it can download a web widget counting down to the live performance.
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Nokia is also touting "an exclusive Rihanna mobile application" available from its Ovi Store while it will also offer of an exclusive version of the new Rated R album via the Nokia Music Store.
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Rihanna is quoted as saying: "I am so excited to partner up with Nokia. They are doing some really revolutionary things with this album, enabling me to reach more fans than ever before".
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The Rihanna event and content is as a result of "groundbreaking new global music partnership", "Nokia Play 2010" with the Island Def Jam Music Group and Universal Music Group International.

Those interested in the live stream can register at www.nokia.com/rihanna.

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Tags: Phones Nokia Audio Rihanna Media streaming Music downloads

Nokia announces Rihanna live stream event originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:35:14 +0000

Popular music streaming service Spotify has announced that Robbie Williams' new album will debut exclusively on the service in the UK.

From Friday 6 November, the comeback album, "Reality Killed The Video Star", will be available to listen to exclusively to all UK users in advance of the album's official launch on 9 November.

The new album features 12 brand new tracks (plus one reprise), including the singles "Bodies" and "You Know Me".

As an extra treat for Robbie fans, as part of the exclusive, Spotify says it has "had Robbie put together a playlist of some of his favourite tracks over his career and another playlist highlighting tracks from his musical heroes".

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Tags: Audio Media streaming Spotify Online Music downloads Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams' new album gets exclusive Spotify debut originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:04:13 +0000

A survey from London-based think-tank Demos has added weight to the position held by many that file sharers are the biggest music fans, revealing that those who admit downloading music illegally spend an average of ?77 per year on music, compared to ?44 for people who claim that they never download dishonestly.

The poll spoke to 1000, 16 to 50-year-olds with web access. One in ten admitted to downloading music illegally, though the real figure is suspected by many to be considerably higher. However, 61% of those downloaders said they would be put off downloading illegally if their connection was in jeopardy.

The government, led by Peter Mandelson, is trying very hard to push through plans to set up a ?"three-strikes" system that would disconnect file sharers from the Web. However, there's fierce opposition to the proposals from everyone from artists, to ISPs, to even MI5 and the police.

The report's authors say that the results of this survey suggest that Mandelson's plans could actually harm the music industry more than helping it, especially as there are other sources of entertainment - like video games - that are fighting for consumer attention. Will file sharers stop spending their cash on music entirely, if disconnected from their sources of content?

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Tags: Software Online Broadband Filesharing P2P Statistics Surveys Music downloads Music Audio

Survey claims illegal downloaders spend most on music originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:32:13 +0000

The Beatles' entire back catalogue has found itself online for streaming and downloads semi-legally thanks to music service BlueBeat Music.

The site, which will no doubt be pulled within hours is currently offering Beatles fans the chance to own songs for just a quarter (15p) as well as the chance to stream the tracks for free.

Although many expected Apple to be the first to offer the Beatles back catalogue digitally online, BlueBeat Music's approach has been to hope that rights holder EMI won't complain.

Buried deep in terms and conditions is the following:

"If you believe in good faith that materials hosted by BlueBeat infringe your copyright (for example, materials posted by BlueBeat on one of our Forums), you (or your agent) may send us a notice requesting that the material be removed, or access to it blocked".

According to The Telegraph, EMI told the newspaper that "the company had not given its permission for the tracks to be sold and was "looking into the situation".

EMI has been rumoured to be waiting for the right time to offer the songs digitally, with many speculating, wrongly, that it would have happened in September, the same days as Rock Band: The Beatles launched.

In 2014, the copyright for the first Beatles tracks begin to expire, suggesting an ever looming window for EMI and Apple Corps to maximise on sales is drawing closer.

UPDATE: EMI has confirmed that it's sueing BlueBeat over these tracks.

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Related links:

• Via - telegraph.co.uk

Tags: Audio Software Online Music downloads BlueBeat Beatles

Beatles go on sale online originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:20:43 +0000

TalkTalk's Tiscali.co.uk has joined the ranks of UK ISPs providing music services with the launch of "Music for Life", said to be a "new" music download offering available to all Tiscali users.

www.tiscali.co.uk/downloads offers access to a catalogue of over 6.5 million MP3s in a service powered by eMusic.

The offering is the same as eMusic's standalone subscription models and can be seen as follows:

• eMusic Basic - 24 downloads for ?9.99 per month - then ?0.42 per song
• eMusic Plus - 35 downloads for ?13.99 per month - the ?0.40 per song
• eMusic Premium - 50 downloads for ?17.99 per month - then ?0.36 per song
• eMusic Connoisseur - 75 downloads for ?24.99 per month - then ?0.33 per song

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To promote the launch, Tiscali.co.uk will be giving users 50 free tracks when they sign up for a 14-day free trial of Music for Life.

Downloads are DRM-free, so compatible with all portable music players and can be burned to an unlimited number of CDs.

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Tags: Audio Software Online Music downloads Tiscali TalkTalk eMusic Music for Life ISPs

Tiscali offers "Music for Life" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:36:13 +0000

It's being reported that Google is planning to launch a music service imminently. A number of sources quoted by TechCrunch are saying that the company is securing content from major labels, and one source has named the offering "Google Audio".

At a time when the whole world and its dog are launching music services, it's unclear whether the music platform will be download-based like iTunes, streaming-based like Spotify and Pandora, or a hybrid of the two like Napster and Sky Songs. It'll be available to "at least" the US, but we'd predict that it'd be limited to the States for the time being - licensing of tracks in multiple territories is a real headache.

Google already has a music service in China that allows users to download tracks for free, and it has a music search engine that can be accessed by putting "music:" before a query in the search box. Songs accessed that way aren't available to listen to, however.

This is a breaking story and we'll bring you more news as it arrives.

Thanks to Alan for the tip.

Update: A little trawling has revealed that Google Audio popped up in 2006 on the company's job search boards. There were talks at the time with major labels, but nothing came of it. Could it be that Google decided the industry wasn't ready back then, and it is now?

Update II: TechCrunch is now reporting that iLike and Lala will be partnering with Google on this one, and it'll allow users to stream songs from search results. There'll also be the option to buy downloads. Seems like an odd move to us, especially as current streaming options from both iLike and Lala are very limited, but perhaps there's more to it. We'll keep you posted.

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Tags: Audio Music Online Google Music downloads Google Audio Rumours Spotify Napster Pandora Sky Microsoft

Google launching music service? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:03:09 +0100

Sky's "Sky Songs" music subscription service, which we've dissected in detail previously, has now gone live and is available to consumers. It costs ?6.49 each month, and that'll get you ad-free unlimited streaming and ten MP3s. There's also an ?8 tier that gets you 15 songs.

The catalogue size is 4 millions, and it's managed to license the four major labels and most independents too. Beggars, The Orchard and PIAS are all present and correct. If you want to buy more music than your subscription allows then it starts at 65p and goes up from there.

You can sign up right now at songs.sky.com (which, intriguingly, pictures a Zune under the "Download" header). Similar services are also available from Napster and - of course - Spotify. There's a whole lot more, too, all covered in our Music Services Roundup feature.

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Tags: Audio Sky Songs Music downloads Music Sky

Sky Songs is now live originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:25:21 +0100

Spotify will shortly be launching an improved MP3 purchasing experience for tracks on its streaming service. It's always been possible to buy MP3s through a right-click menu, but clicking that just opened a browser window that took you to 7digital's website.

From now onward, every single track and album in Spotify's catalogue will have a great big stonking "buy" button next to it. Clicking that button will open up a floating window in the Spotify application which lets you put in your card details to buy an MP3. Once you've done that, tracks download to a "Spotify" folder in your music directory.

There's also now a "purchases" button in the sidebar from which you can play any MP3s that you've downloaded through the service. You can redownload a file that you've bought 3 to 5 times, and the download quality differs between tracks but are mostly 256 or 320kbps.

Is this Spotify trying to add short-term referral cash to its incoming revenue streams, or providing a feature that users have been clamouring for? The company says the latter - what do you think?

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Tags: Audio Software Spotify Music software Music downloads Music 7digital Video

VIDEO: Spotify debuts improved MP3 purchases originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:17:18 +0100

With Sky's announcement of the company's upcoming service, Sky Songs, we finally have proof that every man and his dog is getting in on the music scene. As a consumer, though, the picture just gets that little bit more complicated.

If you want all the music in the world for free, then that's still possible - just not necessarily legal. So, if you've a conscience and you're looking to listen to whatever you want and even keep it, then here's a run down of a few of the options open to you.

Sky Songs

Year launched

2009

Catalogue

4 million

Streaming

?6.49/month for ad-free, unlimited service

Downloads

Same ?6.49/?7.49 buys 10/15 tracks/month

DRM

No

Music Quality

Unknown

File available

MP3

Announced just today, the Sky service seems to have simplicity at its heart for a subscription model. There are just two options both of which provide an advert free unlimited stream of whatever music you choose plus the bonus of either 10 or 15 tracks to download and keep as MP3s each month. No mention of the level of quality but expect it to be around 256kbps with no choice on the matter.

Verdict - With all four majors on board and a low monthly payment, it's a very good option. If the catalogue can back it up, the "free" downloads act as a very nice bonus.

Spotify

Year launched

2008

Catalogue

8 million

Streaming

Free, ad-funded streaming or ?9.99/month for non-ad premium service

Downloads

courtesy of 7digital

DRM

n/a

Music Quality

160kbps (free service) 320 kbps (premium)

File available

n/a

The current people's champion, Spotify is both social and free which massive pluses to the public. Yes, the ads can be annoying, yes the catalogue does have a few gaping holes and yes, the audio quality of the basic stream is relatively low, but then you can always sign up for the ?10 per month and get it on your smartphone too.

Verdict - Still the best offering for the majority of people. Perhaps not for those looking to build a library of tracks.

eMusic

Year launched

1998

Catalogue

6 million

Streaming

No

Downloads

24/35/50 tracks for ?9.99/?13.99/?17.99 per month

DRM

No

Music Quality

192kbps on average

File available

MP3

At the other end of the spectrum eMusic provides a series of subscription packages and no music for free whatsoever. The structure is fairly rigid and unlike all good mobile phone plans of days gone by, the unused credits do not roll over to the next month. That said, it's one of the oldest, most successful services out there, has built up an excellent catalogue of independent labels and more obscure, hard to find tracks.

Verdict - Great option for collectors but the audio quality can vary quite a lot.

We7

Year launched

2007

Catalogue

3.5 million

Streaming

free, ad-funded streaming

Downloads

pay-per-track & free ad funded versions

DRM

No

Music Quality

256 & 320kbps paid; 192kbps free

File available

MP3

The most interesting thing about We7 as opposed to the others is that they do offer tracks to download and keep for free. The downside to this is that each contains a small piece of advertising, known as ablipvert, which plays every time with the track. You can pay to remove it and also for a higher bit-rate version too. A free streaming service is also available, so overall users get a lot of choice here.

Verdict - Good universal platform. Not such a large catalogue and slightly on the ad-heavy side.

7digital

Year launched

2004

Catalogue

8 million

Streaming

No

Downloads

pay-per-track

DRM

No

Music Quality

192, 256, 320kbps

File available

MP3/AAC/WMA/FLAC

7digital is a simple one on the outside - no streaming, no subscriptions, all downloads and all paid for. However, there's an excellent degree of flexibility once you start shopping. As with all the pay-per-track services, the songs are reasonably priced but what you get with 7digital is the option of how you'd like them downloaded. It's the only service which allows users to select both the audio quality and the file-type they'd like as well with the lossless FLAC, a noticeable intrigue.

Verdict - Good flexibility, good choice but could do with a few more tracks and some kind of free option too.

Amazon MP3

Year launched

2008

Catalogue

9 million

Streaming

No

Downloads

pay-per-track from 29p

DRM

No

Music Quality

256kbps

File available

MP3

With downloads starting at just 29p, a catalogue of over 9 million songs and each of them at an excellent level of audio quality, it's hard to ignore Amazon's recent step into the music world - especially as it's somewhere many of us do our online shopping in the first place.

Verdict - Very good value pick and chose option.

iTunes Store

Year launched

2003

Catalogue

10 million

Streaming

No

Downloads

pay-per-track: $0.69, $0.99, or $1.29

DRM

No

Music Quality

256kbps

File available

AAC

If AAC files are your thing, then the iTunes Store is the place to be. Over the air access via iPhones and iPod touches play a large part in its success as well as iTunes being the default music player for anyone with any kind of Apple PMP. Certainly not the cheapest but it's a tidy piece of software with a great catalogue and so much more palatable ever since they ditched the DRM.

Verdict - Expensive but very convenient.

Napster

Year launched

2003

Catalogue

8 million

Streaming

Unlimited, ad-free for ?5/month to PC or ?14.95 to portables too

Downloads

pay-per-track

DRM

No

Music Quality

128kbps streamed, 256kbps downloads

File available

MP3/WMA

So many years and so many changes, Napster will always be associated with the hay day of the Web and the way this place has changed over all these years. The new version of the service is slightly over-complicated compared to all the others, but once people get over the bitter taste that still surrounds the original site's shutdown, they might discover that the streaming service is wonderfully cheap - just not free.

Verdict - Great value streaming from a broad catalogue. Portable version much pricier.

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Related links:

• News - Sky Songs music service officially announced

Tags: Audio Software Napster Media streaming Music downloads eMusic Spotify Amazon MP3 iTunes 7digital Sky Songs We7 Features

Which is the best online music service? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:50:20 +0100

Following the news we brought you that the service was coming soon, Sky has officially announced it is to launch its Sky Songs online music streaming and download service in the UK.

4 million tracks are available via unlimited, ad-free online streaming, while DRM-free MP3 files can be downloaded and stored forever, for use on any MP3 compatible device.

There's music from the four major music labels (EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner) plus content from a range of indies including the Beggars Group, The Orchard and PIAS Entertainment Group.

Similar to how Microsoft's Zune Pass system works in the States, as well as the revamped Napster offerings (which is cheaper, but you get less) the Sky Songs service starts at ?6.49 a month, which will get users the unlimited streaming and then either a ?6.49 album or 10 songs to download and keep.

Paying ?7.99 a month will let users download either a ?7.99 album or 15 songs as well as the streaming while additional music can be bought on a per-track or per-album basis from 65p and ?6.49.

The service will launch on the 19 October at http://songs.sky.com/ and is available to any consumer in the UK with internet access and means to pay.

Tags: Audio Sky Sky Songs Media streaming Music downloads

Sky Songs music service officially announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:39:53 +0100

Napster has decided to revamp its UK music offering, making it significantly cheaper than its old subscription service. The company is now offering unlimited streaming of tracks via the Web and through a desktop application for ?5 a month, and it's throwing in 5 free MP3s each month to sweeten the deal, too.

Previously, users paid ?10 per month for streaming with no MP3s, or ?15 per month for streaming and unlimited download of DRMed music files which wouldn't work on an iPod. With the prices halved and free MP3s chucked in too, the new offering should prove significantly more attractive.

The catalogue comprises 8 million tracks from all four major labels as well as a smattering of indies, and - if you don't know what you want to listen to - there are also playlists, radio stations and recommendations offered. Napster is talking up the revamp as "the best value, legal music service you can access anywhere".

Napster's service can be accessed on mobile phones - the company has a mobile site which allows you to preview and download MP3s onto your handset, and a backup copy gets sent to your PC too. The service will work with Logitech's Squeezebox, Sonos' music systems and Terratec's NOXON iRadio.

As previously reported on Pocket-lint, subscriptions will be bundled with Dell PCs that entitle the user to a year's subscription to the service. Certain Dell laptops in ?the Studio and Inspiron ranges will be offering the deal later in the month.

This is a developing story, so check back later on for updates.

UPDATE: Napster has also announced a deal with the Carphone Warehouse. The retail chain is owned by US electronics giant Best Buy which also owns Napster. The music streaming service will get a retail presence in 817 Carphone Warehouse stores that'll offer pre-paid cards with 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions for ?15, ?30 and ?60 respectively.

The stores will also be offering free trial cards that'll give a month's usage of the service - complete with five free MP3s - for nothing. Napster reckons that if it can get users to give its music streaming offering a try, then they'll be convinced and sign up long-term.

Existing Napster subscribers have been transitioned to a ?10 per month package which has unlimited streaming but also offers 12 free MP3s per month. That offer will be available to new subscribers too, but not until later this year. Later this year, the catalogue will also be expanded to 10 million tracks.

Napster's Senior Marketing Manager for the UK, Dan Nash, told Pocket-lint that the company's target is younger, more casual music listeners who aren't prepared to shell out ?10 each month, so this second service may well be a concession to the hardcore music fans.

Once the launch is complete, the company will be focusing on adding social media integration, as well as opening up an API so that it can expand its device integration. Napster's VP Sales & Marketing for Europe, Torsten Schliesche, said that the company was very interesterd in IPTVs to get music into the living room without resorting to a PC.

Oh, and for the audiophiles amongst you, we demanded to know the audio quality of the offerings. Napster's streaming service runs at 128kbps and its MP3 downloads are 256kbps. For comparative purposes, Spotify's free, ad-supported service offers 160kbps OGG Vorbis q5, whereas paid subscribers get 320kbps.

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Related links:

• News - Napster announces Dell partnership

Tags: Audio Software Napster Media streaming Music downloads

Napster revamps UK music offering originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:00:55 +0100

The iPhone has iTunes. Android has Amazon MP3, at least in the States and Nokia has Comes with Music, but until now BlackBerry and Windows Mobile users were sat in the cold.

BlackBerry's now been invited into the warm confines of the party, leaving poor old Windows Mobile still outside. 7digital, alongside announcing that it's launching in the States, has revealed that its previously-planned application for BlackBerry users to download music is now here.

The app is free, and works on the BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Tour in North America. By the end of the week, 7digital tells us, the company will have it working on the BlackBerry Storm and BlackBerry Curve 8520, too.

It's available in the UK, the USA, Germany and Spain, and should launch shortly in Canada. It's been built by DevelopIQ, and works on both Wi-Fi and 3G. In the latter case, when you buy a track it'll download a 64kbps version over 3G, before upgrading it automatically to a 320kbps one when you next connect to a Wi-Fi network.

It can run in the background, unlike an iPhone application, and it can also stream audio over Bluetooth to devices. DevelopIQ is working on push functionality that'll allow any tracks bought on your PC to be pushed automatically to your BlackBerry over Wi-Fi, too.

The app is available now from BlackBerry App World.

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Related links:

• News - 7digital launches in USA and Canada

Tags: Audio Phones Mobile phone apps RIM BlackBerry 7digital Music downloads

BlackBerry music app unveiled by 7Digital originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:47:54 +0100

MP3 download service 7digital has announced an expansion over the pond into the USA and Canada. The UK-based music company has opened websites in North America for both countries that feature content from all four major labels, as well as a host of independents.

Pricing is a smidge cheaper than market rival iTunes at 77 cents for a track, and $7.77 for an album. All content is in MP3 format at 320kbps, which is better quality than Amazon's 256kbps MP3s and equivalent to Spotify's higher-bitrate Premium service.

UK users that are paying 79p for tracks might feel a little hard-done-by, but Ben Drury, the company's founder, told Pocket-lint that the difference is thanks to the lack of VAT in the States and music publishing working differently in favour of wholesalers.

The digital market in the US is more advanced than in the UK, with 20-30% of album purchases already being digital, compared to a 15-20% forecast by the Official Charts Company in the UK for 2010.

7digital's move follows the securing last year of ?4.25 million in funding from Sutton Place managers, a venture capital fund. The company also recently signed a pan-European MP3 deal with Warner Music.

Drury told Pocket-lint that the company was pushing "agressive pricing" against iTunes and Amazon, adding "we think we can make a profit".

Related links:

• News - HMV snares 50% share of 7digital

Tags: Audio 7digital Music downloads Biz

7digital launches in USA and Canada originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:15:47 +0100

It's been well over a year since UK broadcaster Sky officially announced plans to create an unlimited music service, and it's only now just about to go into a limited beta testing phase.

Called "Sky Songs", there's a website up and running now with a "coming soon" banner claiming it will offer "a new way to discover music" but provides no timescale as to when it will be publicly available.

Since Sky's plans were revealed in July 2008, the online music market has changed considerably with the UK launch of Spotify making streaming a more popular choice. In the same time period the similar service We7 has hit 2 million users.

Sky had previously said that for a monthly subscription fee, users would be able to download tracks to listen to later and "to own forever" with tracks said to work on any MP3-compatible device, including iPods, MP3 players and mobile phones, which suggested the songs would be DRM-free.

We do know Sky's offering will be made up of a catalogue of more than 4 million songs from all of the major labels as well as over 100 independents.

How much Sky plans to charge, how usable the site is, and just how unlimited those unlimited claims turn out to be will all be crucial to the success of Sky Songs, especially considering its delayed entry to the market. We will keep you posted.

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Related links:

• News - Sky announces plans for unlimited music download site

Tags: Audio Sky Sky Songs Music downloads Websites Spotify We7 Media streaming

Unlimited music service Sky Songs hits beta originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:30:19 +0100

Free All Music is a company, based in Atlanta, which still reckons ad-supported MP3 downloads is a viable business model. The company thinks it can do better than Spiralfrog and its similar proposition, which disappeared last year, by making users pick their own adverts.

On the site, you pick which MP3 you want, then you choose a sponsor to "buy" if for you. The site then displays a 15-18 second video ad, and once that's complete you'll be able to download the file - a DRM-free 256kbps MP3 file.

The advertiser will then be able to use your username and purchase info in its own advertising around the web - so it could display to the world that you just picked up Lady Gaga's "Poker Face". Free All Music can therefore sell multiple adverts on each downloaded file.

The catch is that you can only download as much as advertisers are willing to pay for. If no-one's prepared to stump up for a track then you won't be getting it. The company is, at launch, aiming for "typical iTunes behaviour" - 15 songs every 3 months.

How well that'll gel with the typical audience for music startups - which tend to be both big music fans and big music consumers, not iTunes users - remains to be seen. If the company can get more advertising, then the song allowance will increase.

What everything hinges on, though, is catalogue. It's widely agreed that one of the reasons for Spotify's early success was the strength of its catalogue and the ease of use of the software. At the moment Free All Music only has one major label signed up.

Also, given the wealth of other sites offering semi-legal free MP3s - even before you start looking at file sharing networks - it seems like it'll be tough for Free All Music to gain a foothold. We'll keep you posted of the company's progress.

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Related links:

• News - 7digital to sell DRM-free MP3s from Warner
• Link - Free All Music

Tags: Audio Music downloads Free All Music Advertising

Free All Music to offer ad-supported free MP3s originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:18:21 +0100

HP are reported to be offering free music downloads with new laptops that consumers buy. In a move that echos Nokia's questionable Comes With Music service, anyone that buys a new laptop will a scratchcard thrown in with a PIN number on it.

You can then visit a dedicated website and register that PIN number to gain access to a catalogue provided by Universal Music where you can pick up to 1000 tracks to download. Good luck playing those on your iPod though, it looks like they come with DRM that'll limit you to a year's listening. At the end of that year, you can pick 120 to keep.

The offer seems to be limited to Asia (though not Japan), and will be available on HP notebooks from 24 October. Sandy Monteiro, Universal Music Group's Asian VP of Digital, remarked: "We are keen to explore such deals to get consumers familiar with the new environment and using devices like computers and mobile phones to listen to music. It incentivises them to learn to enjoy music via devices other than traditional hardware".

Parellel to that deal, customers buying HP laptops after that date will also get access to 12 videgames from Wild Tangent. It's not clear what the games are.

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Related links:

• News - HP Pavilion DM1 sneaks out

Tags: Hardware Laptops HP Music downloads

HP offers music with laptops originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:56:19 +0100