The developers of file sharing client LimeWire have launched a DRM-free digital music store that serves up 500,000 MP3s, many of them from indie bands, for as little as 27 cents apiece.
Users of the application will eventually see "buy" links alongside options to download songs for free from other users using BitTorrent or Gnutella technology. Those who don't want to install the LimeWire P2P application can already access the LimeWire Store online.
At 256 Kbps, LimeWire's MP3s are relatively high-quality files, which could entice some to buy a given track rather than downloading a potentially inferior-sounding version for free. On the other hand, there's plenty of music encoded at 320 Kbps MP3 and various lossless formats on the P2P networks.
Users can pay 99 cents per song or choose from monthly subscription plans that bring the per-song cost down to as little as 27 cents:
- No subscription: 99 cents per song
- Silver subscription: $10 a month for 25 songs (40 cents per track)
- Gold subscription: $15 a month for 50 songs (30 cents per track)
- Platinum subscription: $20 a month for 75 songs (27 cents per track)
Users can change subscription plans at any time, giving them an easy way to scale back if needed. LimeWire says it will be adding lots more music to this beta version. So far, I've spotted some familiar names among the available artists: #poundsign#, Beirut, Broken Social Scene, The Warlocks and more.
We've known LimeWire was working on a music store for months, so it's nice to see the project finally launch. It already contains an impressive amount of music, although none appears to be from a major label.
For the indie labels and distribution networks that are willing to work with LimeWire, this represents a new revenue stream. Once the store is integrated into the P2P client, fans will be presented with a last-ditch opportunity to compensate the artists and labels whose music they're downloading – at least once in a while.
(via p2pblog)
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