TuneSquare.com - Revolutionizing free downloads

TuneSquare.com is the coolest free music download site on the block right now. The site offers listening and downloading of music by unsigned artists of all genres. Site visitors can search for music in nine categories including pop rock, hardrock metal, soul R&B, singer songwriter, hip hop rap, other, techno electronic, world and club dance. Each search reveals a neat list of songs to listen to (sound clips) and to download for free. The coolest part is that the artists still get paid! This is possible because TuneSquare.com has obviously worked hard to make sure the advertising is sufficient for the companies but not painfully annoying to the audience. The ads are not exactly subtle but they are placed intelligently and are actually fun to look at. The idea on the main page is that site visitors are looking up in Time Square at all the huge billboards and happen to see colorful ads from the site's advertisers. For example, the main page has a Samsung music player, a huge coca-cola sign and a Loews theater marquee to name a few, but the idea is so fresh that the site visitors won't even realize its advertising. The other form of advertising is playing a commercial-like spot in place of a music video while listening to a selected song. The advertising is smart, the music is free and the artists get paid – I smell a winner.

"Simple, open and free - while still paying artists for their work. As opposed to other websites, we wanted to create a wide-open place for listeners to download the songs they want - when they want - without any requirement to register on the site.

Out of respect for our users, we have carefully chosen how and where to implement our ads on the site, so that they appear to users in the least annoying way we could conceive of. This is as a result of an ongoing conversation with many involved members."

TuneSquare.com has the right idea in terms of pleasing every party involved: music fans, music makers and those who have the big bucks. Music fans are offered free downloads of new music and are taken into consideration when it comes to advertising techniques. The musicians are lovin' it because they get paid and promoted, and the big multi-national companies are part of a new type of advertising and are, for once, not an irritating display of cold capitalism.

What is the earning potential for the artists?