Website To Introduce 'Biggest Free Music Service'

The social music platform Last.Fm is to launch what it has called the biggest free music service in the world.

Registered users will be able to stream and listen to tracks up to three times, as opposed to downloading them onto their computer.

They will then be given the opportunity to download the track via digital download stores such as iTunes.

The service, which has won the support of the world’s four biggest record labels – EMI, SonyBMG, Universal and Warner Music – as well as independent labels, will be funded by advertising and subsequent record sales.

Richard Jones, one of the company’s founders, told the BBC that they “want to make music available free and legally to whoever wants it, while rewarding the artists at the same time."

He denied that people were more inclined to download music, rather than stream it. "The way people consume music is changing,” he said.