NEWS: We7 and Sony BMG offer tunes for free
We7.com has added Sony BMG to the list of record labels on its advert-supported download service. The website has over 500,000 tracks from the likes of Bob Dylan, Editors and Alicia Keys thanks to the Sony BMG tie-in.
Tracks are available to stream and download – both completely free.
The free tracks contain an advert at the start, which helps the site to pay the artists and record labels on your behalf, despite you not paying any money yourself. Your advert is removed after a set number of listens. That said, If you'd rather not buy a track with an ad at the front, then We7.com allows you to do this, too.
Steve Purdham, co-founder and CEO of We7 comments: "To date music fans have really only had two choices to get the music how they want it - buy or steal. Today we're changing that by putting the fans and artists first to deliver a fresh new alternative.
Simply fans get the music they want and now have the choice of paying with their money or paying with a small amount of their time. So everybody is happy"
Co-founded by ex-Genesis front man Peter Gabriel and launched in May 2007, the site has since reached over 3 million downloads and over 100,000 subscribers.
- Joe Cox's blog
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Comments
I'm getting really jaded by all this. Yet another gimmick. Just give us a huge site - something equal to a physical music store, with the same diversity of music, from all labels, with files available at high quality at a reasonable price.
Furthermore, this is no "third way" from buying and stealing. A better way, which i shall continue to use until the labels cooperate and sort their act out - is to buy (legitimately, AFAIK) online, often for a great price, and rip the tracks you want.
Many may not like it, but downloads are the future. The labels need to deal with that with the customer in mind, and stop with the cheap attention seeking.
damn!
EDIT - should have said buy "second hand" online! Most importasnt that bit, as neither label nor artist benefit, but Amazon are doing it, so im gonna go ahead and assume its legit. THATS the consumer friendly third way, folks!