Mobile Tech Reviews

Keeping ahead of whatever industry you are involved in is imperative for any business; the hoops each industry requires you to jump through, though, may be different. The music industry’s particular hoops at present are those involving the provision of free music downloads to customers and fans.

Over the last year or so the strategic importance of free music downloads has increasingly been seen as essential to the working of the industry. Services such as We7 and Spiral Frog are offering free music downloads (albeit with commercials) and bands like Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and now Coldplay are offering all or some of their latest albums for free (or effectively free, in the case of Radiohead) download. Free music downloads is becoming a crucial factor for commercial success.

Jim Guerinot, the talent manager who looks after acts including Nine Inch Nails, is adamant that free music downloads has a place in the industry: “I think free has been very important for a long time,” he said.