Starbucks to Give Away 50 Million iPod Songs

Earlier this month, Starbucks and Apple announced a partnership that will allow users of Apple's iPhone and new iPod Touch to download songs playing in a Starbucks shop directly to their portable devices.The coffee chain's icon will light up on the iPhone or Touch whenever a user is within range of a Starbucks shop's Wi-Fi signal. People with the devices — or a laptop with iTunes software — will also be able to use the signal for free to browse and buy other iTunes music. Starbucks Corp. plans to give away 50 million free digital songs to customers in all of its domestic coffee houses to promote a new wireless iTunes music service that's about to debut in select markets. From Oct. 2 to Nov. 7, baristas in the company's more than 10,000 U.S. stores will hand out about 1.5 million "Song of the Day" cards each day. The cards can be redeemed at Apple Inc.'s online iTunes Store. Thirty-seven artists with featured songs include Paul McCartney and Joni Mitchell — the first two to sign on with Starbucks' Hear Music label — along with Joss Stone, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Annie Lennox and Band of Horses.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iekRkAStEaoMsYt8lnqMzBOAmVhg