NEWS
There isn't a constant stream of news related to free and legal MP3s on the web, but when I find a news item that's relevant and interesting, I'll write about it here.
Oxfam launches charity music download site
CNET introduces new Music Download site
(May 26, 2004) The latest entrant in the crowded music download scene is seeking money for music, but not profits.
Oxfam, a U.K.-based charity that works around the globe to help relieve poverty and hunger, has launched a web site today called Big Noise Music. Big Noise Music will feature downloads listener can buy, but that musicians have donated for free. The money will go to fund Oxfam's relief efforts; the web site will also seek signatures for its global petition, called the Big Noise, which aims to convince world governments to introduce fair trade initiatives.
Among the 12,000 artists donating some 300,000 songs to the site are Coldplay, the Darkness, and Badly Drawn Boy.
(April 26, 2004) Months after buying the rights to the name MP3.com and dismantling the site that
launched the digital music revolution, CNET has officially opened its own free music download site at the URL music.download.com.
CNET has long held court at the download.com URL; the technology information company has carefully placed its new music site into the overall "download.com" concept, as one leg, now, of three (the other two are software and games).
CNET has not given the site a particular name; at the top of the page, the site says "DOWNLOAD.COM" and underneath is the word "MUSIC" in a high-tech font on the left side of an orange bar.
The site's main page features a few highlighted songs, labeled "Editor's Pick" or "Featured Song" or "Just In," and a list of 16 different genres to browse through. Each genre has a main page with similarly highlighted songs and, often, a list of subgenres to explore further.
CNET has been collecting songs from users over the past several weeks; the site claims to have "thousands" of songs available at the outset. Music.download.com will continue to solicit uploads from whomever visits the site and has a song to submit.
Meanwhile, the actual name MP3.com is slated to be resurrected as a music information site. CNET says this site will be ready "soon."
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