Peter Gabriel shows digital music some Modern Love

The time of ad-supported mp3's may be just around the corner. Peter Gabriel has taken a Sledgehammer to the digital music business by investing in a new music download service that offers free tracks to users willing to listen to advertisements. This gives Exposure for the advertisers, and free music to the listeners. Now here's the part that will really Shock the Monkey, after listening to the song with the ad for four weeks, you can download the song advertisement free. For those of you Waiting For The Big One, Here Comes the Flood. There seems to be a Slowburn among major music labels, as few of them are lining up to give away their product with no DRM.

Gabriel's service -- entitled We7 -- might have the right Perspective though. This is a great idea that benefits everyone as long as the parties involve Don't Give Up. It may take some time to catch on, but this could easily be the future of music downloading. With all the Humdrum surrounding piracy and the need for proper DRM, this tactic might be the savior. Why bother stealing music from a possibly suspect source, when you can get it for free from a quality location? The music industry just has to give it a shot. Remember that you have to Love to Be Loved. There may be a Solsbury Hill to climb before this takes off, but it could be something special. This post would be so hip if it was 1983 again.