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Chinese offered song downloads for 3 cents each

03.08.2008 15:00 Arts - Source: cbc.ca

An American company is offering songs for about three cents each for downloading in China in a effort to counter easy access to free, pirated music.

The Wawawa Music Store, a distributor of independent music, launched its site on Friday with a subscription service that allows 88 downloads for a paltry price of 20 yuan, approximately $2.83 US.

"Right now the bar is free," said Kevin Arnold, the founder and CEO of the Independent Online Distribution Alliance, a digital clearing house for artists who haven't signed with major record labels.

"We're trying to put something out there that is a valuable offering in the selection and service at a reasonable price point and see how people react," he said.

More than one million recordings from artists such as Bob Marley & The Wailers, David Byrne and the San Francisco Symphony are available. The site is operated by a Chinese company, R2G.

Mathew Daniel of R2G said the venture is targeting Chinese music lovers looking for music outside the mainstream.

"Everybody has been downloading full-length music for free but the selection is not as exhaustive as what it could be," Daniel said. "The lesser known artists — their music is still good."

Toronto punk-techno band Woodhands told the Los Angeles Times it was hoping the site would help it distribute its music.

The band played two shows in Beijing earlier this year as part of a cultural exchange and managed to draw hundreds of people.

Bandmember Dan Werb said he realized then that there was a lot of support for independent music in China.

"It's a small step in the right direction," Werb told the Times. "It's great for us. It means when we do go back there, if we're not selling CDs off the stage, we can at least keep a mark there."

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