SpiralFrog

Infobox Company
company_name = SpiralFrog
company_
foundation =
location = New York
key_people = Joe Mohen, Founder and Chairman
industry = Music Downloads
products =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
parent =
subsid =
homepage = [http://www.spiralfrog.com/ SpiralFrog.com]
footnotes =

SpiralFrog is a music download service based in New York that launched in the United States and Canada on September 17, 2007. SpiralFrog offers free and legal music downloads, all supported by advertising, and is the largest site of its kind in North America.

Business model

SpiralFrog is entirely supported by advertising, allowing free download of its music. The ads are presented in the form of banner ads much like any news website rather than in the form of popups or adware. Songs downloaded from the service can not be burned to a CD, put on more than two portable devices and will not work on Mac OS X or the Apple iPod, iPhone, or the Microsoft Zune. However, they will work with any digital audio player or music phone that supports WMA PlaysForSure subscription services. Customers must visit the site once a month and renew their license by taking a survey on the user's thoughts on Spiralfrog such as the download speeds and the site layout to be able to continue to download music, but the songs work for sixty days after the last license renewal. In the event that the license should expire, it can always be renewed at a later date to restore function to the tracks. For songs that are on portable devices, the device must be synced with a computer once every 30 days to keep the songs active. In addition to music, Spiralfrog currently has 4000+ music videos also available for free at 300KB/S streaming or 1000KB/S if you choose to download it. Spiralfrog boasted approximately 800,000 songs upon its launch and now offers more than 1.2 million tracks for download.

Music selection

SpiralFrog has licensing agreements with most major music owners [cite news
url = http://corp.spiralfrog.com/press.aspx
title = SpiralFrog Press Page
author = SpiralFrog
date = 2007-07-25
accessdate = 2007-07-25
work = [http://www.spiralfrog.com] ] in the United States, Canada and in Britain. Spiralfrog.com currently has 1,200,000+ songs and 4,000 music videos available for free download.:
* EMI Music Publishing
* BMI
* Universal Music Group
* CMRRA-SODRAC Inc. (CSI) (The licensing agency which represents authors and music publishers and licenses the reproduction of their songs in Canada to online music distribution services.)
* Sony/ATV Music Publishing
* KOCH Records
* Helene Blue
* GoDigital Music Group
* Kudos Records
* Click Record Productions
* IODA records
* Ingrooves Records
* Universal Music Publishing
* The Orchard

Launching

On September 17, 2007, SpiralFrog.com formally launched in United States. Joe Mohen, chairman and founder of SpiralFrog Inc. stated: "With SpiralFrog you know what you're getting ... there's no threat of viruses, adware or spyware; We believe it will be a very powerful alternative to the pirate sites"." It offered 800,000 tracks and 3,500 music videos for download (by way of Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group). [ [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_on_hi_te/free_music_downloads;_ylt=ArDMw91EXhFeMIoDwwqeHZis0NUE Yahoo.com, SpiralFrog to offer free music downloads] ]

File formats

SpiralFrog utilizes 128 kbit/s which is the standard for most digital music stores such as the Walmart digital music store or 192 kbit/s (for more complex songs that would otherwise sound distorted) Windows Media Audio files wrapped in Microsoft's PlaysForSure DRM. DRM does not allow burning music to a CD but allows side-loading music to up to two portable audio devices. Music from SpiralFrog is not compatible with the Apple iPod or Microsoft's Zune. [ [http://www.spiralfrog.com/pages/support.aspx SpiralFrog.com, Help & FAQs on SpiralFrog] ]

Competition

*Qtrax is purported to be a legal peer-to-peer (P2P) music service that plans to offer ad-supported music tracks. [ [http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/01/major-labels-al.html Qtrax Claims Major Labels Are Onboard With P2P Music Sharing (Updated) | Listening Post from Wired.com ] ] A major launch event held at the Cannes Music Festival in January 2008 fell flat when it was discovered that Qtrax had effectively signed no agreements with any of the four major music labels. [ [http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/2/qtrax__were_still_launching___someday Qtrax: We're still launching...someday | Silicon Alley Insider] ] Since Midem Qtrax has signed with EMI & Universal Music Group for recording rights and EMI, Warner Chappell, Sony/ATV and UMG/BMG for publishing. Qtrax has over 800,000 tracks and whole albums can be downloaded in two minutes or less depending on your internet connection.

*imeem is currently operating a free advertising supported streaming music service which followed a user generated content model, imeem has music from all the major labels in addition to a number of indie labels.

*We7 is a UK based ad-supported music service co-founded by Peter Gabriel, a digital music pioneer [ [http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070430-peter-gabriel-shakes-the-tree-ad-supported-mp3s-fall-out.html: Peter Gabriel shakes the tree, ad-supported MP3s fall out| Ars Technica] ] . It offers free downloads and streaming from mixture of mainstream international artists and indie artists from Sony BMG, V2, Sanctuary Records, Big Fish Media, IRIS, InGrooves, BFM Digital [ [http://www.last100.com/2008/04/21/we7-signs-news-indies-sony-bmg-streaming-by-end-of-month/: We7 signs new indies, Sony BMG streaming by end of month| Last100] ] and many other unsigned artists for tastemakers.

*Ruckus Network is a free ad-supported online music service available to students at all American colleges. With its official launch in September 2004, Ruckus became the first online music service focused exclusively on the college market. Ruckus uses Microsoft's Windows Media DRM system, allowing the possibility of loading files onto compatible PlayForSure portable media players. Their service offers over 3 million tracks free to its users.

*RCRD LBL which is part music website, part social networking website and allows downloads of songs in the DRM free MP3 format rather than copyright protected songs and publishes some of them under the creative commons license which allows the individual to legally share it with their friends for non commercial purposes.

References

*BBC News Online [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5294842.stm article]
* [http://www.spiralfrog.co.uk/press_release.aspx SpiralFrog press release] re Universal Music deal
* [http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/ArticleID/93354/93354.html New iTunes Challenger Emerges]
* [http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=46047290 CMJ - SpiralFrog Licenses IODA Catalog]
* [http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=48547297 CMJ - SpiralFrog Adds Ingrooves To Growing Catalog]
* [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/18/content_6744646.htm Free music site SpiralFrog finally debuts in N America]
* [http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKWNAS728320071022 Reuters UK - SpiralFrog signs licensing agreement with Sony/ATV]

ee also

*Qtrax
*imeem
*Jamendo

External links

* [http://www.spiralfrog.com SpiralFrog]
* [http://www.spiralfrog.com/club/ SpiralFrog Club]
* [http://www.playsforsure.com PlaysForSure website]