In a move that could help put a dent in music piracy, as well as put pressure on song-sellers like iTunes, Yahoo! has signed a deal to serve up full length songs to anyone who searches for them using its search engine, absolutely free!
The catch is that it only works for US users at present, but that doesn’t make it any less important.
It uses Real Networks’ Rhapsody service to dish up music in its entirety, not just short preview clips.
Whenever an artist with available content is searched, a small FoxyTunes music player will appear at the top of the page. Users can then click to enjoy full tracks without paying a penny.
Unfortunately, there are limits attached. Users can only listen to 25 free tracks every 30 days. Once that limit is reached, they’ll either have to wait, making do with 30 second samples until the next month, or subscribe to the Rhapsody Unlimited service.
Still, free full-length music sounds great to us, now we just need Yahoo! to bring it to Britain!
Out now | £free | Yahoo (via Distorted Loop)
