SONG CONTEST BLOG

Subscription-based music service, Rhapsody, has been attempting to acquire new users by offering free downloads from independent artists sponsored by the United States Air Force, which has also been making appearances on PureVolume as part of a nationwide campaign to enlist musicians and music fans to fly stealth bombers.  For Rhapsody, the free music tease is part of a broader strategy to combat the various free music services on the web, legal and otherwise, and a means to frequently upsell the portal’s paid subscription service.  750,000 recruits have signed up to date.  To Rhapsody, that is.

The Free Music Archive provides a curatorial approach to promoting and discovering music, and allows for the free, legal streaming and downloading of its library’s tracks.  Much like an opinion blog, the Free Music Archive acts as a tastemaker with the aid of user generated and suggested content which must first be approved by the site’s curators.  Every track on the site is handpicked and pre-cleared for personal use.  Users with uploading or editing privileges must be invited.  Initial funding for the Free Music Archive came from the New York State Music Fund, a program of the Rockefeller Philanthrophy Advisors.

MusicWeek reported that ad-supported music service and download store, We7, which Peter Gabriel co-founded, is rolling out a new monetization model whereby its users get rewarded with points for their session time which can be redeemed for ad-free days of music.  In addition, an ad-free subscription service will be offered as the portal’s premium tier.  The news comes just shy of SpiralFrog’s announcement last month that it will be shutting down.  SpiralFrog, a competing ad-supported music service, was unable to sustain its business model.