Multnomah County Library offers free digital music downloads through Freegal

February 13, 2011

By Nikole Hannah-Jones, The Oregonian The Oregonian

Matthias Clamer/Fox"Hey, Soul Sister" sung by the cast of Glee is one of the top 10 songs downloaded on Freegal this month.

Here’s a novel idea. What if you could download music for free — legally?
   
Starting today, cardholders at the Multnomah County Library can do just that as the library launches Freegal Music, a download service, on its website.
 
Freegal, introduced last May by the Virginia-based company Library Ideas, enables libraries across the country to pay a fee to give patrons free access to the gigantic Sony Music Entertainment catalog.

The diverse catalog includes about 500,000 songs, with hits and little-known tracks by big names such as Usher, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, the Glee Cast, Tammy Wynette and Miles Davis.

All residents need is a Multnomah County Library card and a pin number, and they can download up to three songs a week. That’s 156 songs year. Patrons can download songs onto a computer, MP3 player or mobile device at home or at library computer stations with a flash drive or MP3 player.

And the songs aren’t on loan. Once you download them, they’re yours.
 
“Just as the library went from circulating 8-tracks to vinyl records to cassette tapes to CDs, that progression now leads to the availability of digital MP3 files through this web-based services,” said library Director Vailey Oehlke.  “It’s a natural evolution for the library, one that makes it easier for patrons to connect with music and to keep it in their collection forever.”
 
Multnomah County is the second Oregon library to offer the service, after the Newport Public Library. It’s unclear if other local libraries will add the service, but Washington County has no plans to at this time. Nationally, more than 300 libraries have signed on. Libraries pay based on expected users. Multnomah County spent $87,000 for a six-month trial and predicts the service will be a big hit. Patrons have already shown their love of music, checking CDs out nearly 2.5 million times from February 2010 to January 2011. Read more>>