Free stuff is always enticing, and while Apple may have scrapped the ‘iTunes Single of the Week’ freebie offer a short time ago, the Cupertino giant is back with a new section for those seeking fresh content without the usual fee. The aptly-named ‘Free on iTunes’ section includes songs from recording artists as well as TV shows from some renowned networks, although right now, it appears reserved for consumers in the United States.
Since it’s a completely new section, it makes sense for it to be a U.S.-only enterprise, and in due course, we’d anticipate that other nations and regions will also be added to the roster. Still, if you have a U.S. iTunes account, you can dive in as of right now, and if you’re on the hunt for new music or TV shows to listen to and watch, Free on iTunes should serve as a decent starting point.
Unfortunately, there are no movies to be had at this moment, nor music videos, but free is free, and in actual fact, the range of downloadable content is rather impressive. A varied pool of artists can be found lurking in Free on iTunes, ranging from Purity Ring to Guster, and with TV episodes provided by the likes of FOX, MTV and Animal Planet, you’ll surely find something that meets your specific tastes.
The promotion is not only good for the Apple ecosystem since, well, it’ll entice more people into checking the store for new music and TV episodes to download, but because the Mac maker appears to be focusing on up-and-coming artists, it’s also a solid move for an industry where less popular singers and bands often struggle to gain exposure.
The iTunes Music Store remains the go-to-portal for digital music downloads, but has struggled in recent times versus the modern streamers like Pandora and Spotify. With the purchase of Beats Electronics last year for the tidy sum of $3 billion, Apple also acquired Beats Music, a streaming service comparable to the aforementioned, and as it continues to gain traction, the days of snatching individual tracks and albums from iTunes appear to be slowing down.
Still, as I said before, free is free, and if you’ve a U.S. iTunes account, be sure to take a peek at Free on iTunes.
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