MSN Counters iTunes With Free Songs
In an attempt to counter Apple iTunes' Pepsi song giveaway, Microsoft announced that its MSN Music service will give away one free song to U.S. customers from February 8 to 12 leading up to the Grammy Awards.
The free track will be the MSN Music team's choosing of what it believes is the top pick for pop, rock, rap/hip-hop, soul/R&B, or country, with a different genre highlighted each day.
"This is also an excellent opportunity for people to discover songs they might not have tried before - so pop fans can check out an outstanding country song, or rock fans can discover some of the year's best hip-hop," Rob Bennett, senior director of MSN Entertainment said.
The picks will come from the following categories: Feb. 8, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance/Best Female Pop Vocal Performance; Feb. 9, Best Rock Song; Feb. 10, Best Rap Song; Feb. 11, Best R&B Song; and Feb. 12, Best Country Song.
The MSN announcement follows Apple and Pepsi's second partnership to give away free tracks on the iTunes Music Store. Apple hopes to give away 200 million songs; however, unlike the MSN offering, users will be able to download any song of their choosing with a winning Pepsi bottle cap.