iTunes' Single of the Week promotion and its 12 Days of Christmas giveaway are things of the past, but those interested in snacking on sampling of what the digital distribution platform has to offer can visit the new Free on iTunes section for a curated tasting menu.
Right now, the Free on iTunes section includes a collection of 16 music singles that boast Apple's straightforward "Get" label. Some of the singles include Rogue Wave's "Eyes" and Purity Ring's "Obedear."
The new section includes a listing of 24 full-length TV shows that include MTV's Eye Candy and BBC's The Musketeers.
Unlike iTunes' Single of the Week program, which was available internationally, Free on iTunes is only available in the U.S. at this point.
For those looking for a bit more fireworks, iTunes is expected to undergo a major overhaul at some point in 2015. Apple's purchase of Beats brought along a music platform with the headphone portfolio, with software set to undergo a reworking and ultimately be folded into iTunes.
While Apple may be seeking to continue to coax record labels to committing even more to the streaming model, Beats and other music services have been struck by a collection of lawsuits that have implications on the way they will negotiate music royalties in the future.
For example, a related streaming court case may even play a role in royalty negotiations. Zenbu Magazines' victory over Sirius XM is emboldening it to go after Google, Apple, Sony and Rdio. The dispute surrounds the streaming of pre-1972 songs, considered public performances, to which Zenbu Magazines holds the copyrights.
"The ruling is a huge victory for sound recording copyright owners, which can use the ruling not only to negotiate higher rates for public performance of pre-Feb. 15, 1972, sound recordings, but may also use such older recordings as leverage for negotiating higher rates for post-Feb. 15, 1972, sound recordings," states Santa Clara University law professor Tyler Ochoa.
