Starbucks announces iTunes giveaways :: Music News :: Articles

Quitting your coffee addiction might be a little bit harder this upcoming month. Starbucks and iTunes have just announced another partnership that is sure to bring more customers to both venues.

In 2006, the two companies teamed up to offer Starbucks Hear Music artists for purchase on iTunes, allowing the label to broaden its market. Starting Oct. 2, the coffee shop will be taking it one step further and offering 50 million free digital songs, with 1.5 million “Song of the Day” cards to be given away each day. The cards will be redeemable at the iTunes store and are reported to feature songs from artists that are on the Hear Music label, such as Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, and Dave Matthews. The first song to be offered to the public will be Bob Dylan's “Jokerman.”

As if all that wasn’t enough, Starbucks will also be selling digital release cards for albums to be bought on iTunes. KT Tunstall's Drastic Fantastic and Eddie Vedder’s compilation of songs for the Into the Wild soundtrack will be the first albums featured and promise to include bonus material for download online.

These services from Starbucks and iTunes will first launch in Seattle and New York before spreading to other branches of the U.S. Reported to last through Nov. 7, the real reason for the free gifts and the special deals is the debut of a new iTunes option. Owners of the iPhone and the iPod Touch will be able to access the shop’s internet for free and download music directly on to their devices. This same wi-fi availability will be granted to Starbucks customers who have iTunes on their laptop.

In an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the president of Starbucks Entertainment, Ken Lombard, has expressed his excitement over the strengthened partnership between the two companies, stating that this new development “is definitely groundbreaking.” With Starbucks’ stock reportedly declining over the past 12 months, this promotion with iTunes just might give the company the caffeine jolt that it needs.

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