Free Downloads From SpiralFrog but No iPods!
09.19.07 - 09:03am
Itunes is always the one that any new music download launch site is automatically compared to, with the question always attached; Can it win?
The launch of SpiralFrog is no different and the question of “Can it win?” may already be over, for none of SpiralFrogs music can be played on an iPod. This already severely limits SpiralFrogs consumers. Over 70 percent of the people who have an MP3 player have an iPod and love it. If they can’t play SpiralFrogs music they won’t even be interested in looking over the site.
That said, the other 30 percent of the consumers out there may love SpiralFrog. It’s free for one. It has an impressive 770,000 songs and 3,500 music videos from Universal, INgrooves and other independent labels. There is no cost to download the music and play it on your MP3 player but the catch is it is DRM encoded. If you don’t go back to the site within a month and re-register the music will quit playing. It also cannot be downloaded and played on a CD.
“We believe it will be a very powerful alternative to the pirate sites. With SpiralFrog you know what you’re getting … there’s no threat of viruses, adware or spyware.” said Joe Mohen, chairman and founder of the service. They say that only one out of forty songs is legally downloaded.
SpiralFrog will get most of its income from advertising revenues placed on the site that are paid directly to the music business. Approximately half will go to record labels and performing artists and another 17 percent will go to various music rights societies and publishers.
“The advertiser is kind of the hero here,” said George Hayes, SpiralFrogs new VP of marketing and sales.
According to Mel Schrieberg, CEO of SpiralFrog, the typical music consumer spends 70 percent of their time researching songs and only 30 percent actually downloading, so the advertisers should get a lot of looks.
Mohen says the site will be up to 2 million free tracks by the end of the year.
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