We7 updated: 5.15.07

Ad-supported free music downloads
Plus: DiscRevolt

While the terms “free” and “legal” aren’t usually used together to describe the business of music downloading, a new platform called We7 has developed a system that does just that. Currently in beta, We7 gives brands the chance to communicate with users by “grafting” a short (around 10 seconds) audio or video ad to the front end of the file. Custom tailored to each user through demographics and preferences supplied by the user, these ads in turn provide revenue to the artists. And after about four weeks, users are given the option to have the track ad-free. Users can play their DRM-free files on any device, and can share these files via We7 with whomever they’d like.

With the ease of use and vast selection of tunes offered by illegal free file sharing, we’ll be interested to see how this service ultimately positions itself as the first choice for free downloads. Although the platform is still in development, we’re curious to see how consumers ultimately receive it.

And By the Way:
Purchasing CDs post-concert is so yesterday. Providing a digital version for the live show venue, DiscRevolt lets artists create a download card, similar to a gift card, with custom artwork and a redemption code on the back. Sold post-show, fans log onto the artist’s website to redeem the music download and keep the cards as collectables.

Maybe this is for all of you who trully understand that it is illegal to copy music if you do not own the actual cd. If you do try it let me know what you think.