The Pima County Public Library has a new service that lets library card holders download digital music for free.
The service called Freegal, a combination of "free" and "legal," is available on the library.pima.gov website.
Library card holders can access the service from the library website using their card number and PIN.
You can browse music by artist name or genre, listen to samples of songs and download up to three free songs per week.
While the catalog isn't all-inclusive, it includes artists on more than 50 Sony-related record labels, from Adele to ZZ Top, with stops in different genres for Branford Marsalis, Beethoven and Brad Paisley.
The downloads are MP3 files that you can keep on your computer or iPod or burn to a CD. It works with the music software you already use, such as iTunes or Windows Media Player.
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Unlike other library items, you don't check the songs back in to the library and the files don't expire.
Of course, free music isn't really free.
The library will pay an estimated $46,650 per year for the subscription to the Freegal music database from Virginia-based Library Ideas LLC - about 12 cents per library card holder.
Jesus Bracamonte, 22, whose iPod and phone are always in his pocket, said it's "pretty neat" for the library to offer music. But the three-song-per-week limit might keep him from using the service, he said.
Jennifer Caldwell, an electronic resources librarian, said the limit is meant to help the library distribute the freebies fairly.
The library expects the service to be popular.
More than 50 people downloaded digital music on Monday, the first day the service was available to the public.
The Phoenix Public Library launched its Freegal service on Sept. 20 and has had more than 3,600 downloads since, said spokeswoman Rita Marko.
She said it's important for libraries to offer downloadable materials because patrons are increasingly reliant on their mobile devices.
MORE AVAILABLE
Besides digital music, downloadable materials available from the Pima County Public Library include e-books, Kindle books, audio books and movies. Go to library.pima.gov/digital for more.
Contact reporter Becky Pallack at bpallack@azstarnet.com or 573-4346.
