14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has been getting their iTunes program out into the world as much as possible lately. First with iPods, then with iPhones and now with social networking sites, Apple is making sure that iTunes reaches everywhere. The recent partnership with Bebo will see iTunes functionality embedded directly into the social networking website, further cementing its lead.
Through the partnership, Bebo's 8.8 million users in the UK and Ireland will be able to buy music directly from the profile of any musician who has a Bebo profile and whose music is available on iTunes. Currently, Bebo has over 500.000 artists registered on its site, including both undiscovered bands, and established acts, and approximately 4,000 bands sign up to the site each day.
This is the first time Apple has linked iTunes to any social networking site, but the move will give the company a stronger position into the 16- to 24-year-olds market. The target audience is both a key consumer of social networking sites and of music. While the integration will only be available in the UK and Ireland for the time being, it is believed that Apple is treating this as an experiment, which if successful will extend either to the rest of Bebo's 33m users worldwide or to other services.
As part of the deal, Bebo will also become a way for iTunes to promote lesser-known artists. The social networking site will be offering users a free music download each week, designed to introduce new artists and releases. This will be quite similar to iTunes' Single of the Week promotion, which has helped in establishing the careers of the likes of Scott Matthews, Mika, James Blunt, Paolo Nutini and Kate Walsh. The first free single will be "Youth of Today" by Amy Macdonald, from the Mercury Music Group label.