Freegal has made it easier for library patrons to download their weekly allotment of MP3 files with the launch of new apps for Apple and Android devices, available for free at Apple’s iTunes store and at the the Google Play store. Similar to many ebook platforms, the app allows users to search for their library via zip code, and then enter their library card and PIN number to download music.
Brian Downing, co-founder of Library Ideas, parent company of Freegal, Freading, and Rocket Languages, described the release of the new apps as the final piece of “Freegal 3.0.”
“1.0 was when we released Freegal, 2.0 was when we released the flat-rate subscription option, and 3.0 was when we quadrupled our selection to 10,000 labels and 3 million songs,” Downing said.
“The release of the mobile apps was the final piece of the puzzle. So, we’ll continue to develop and improve the service. Now that we have 3 million songs, we just have to make it easier and easier for people to find what they’re looking for.”
Although most libraries have not begun marketing the new apps, a “few thousand” library patrons have already downloaded the apps since their soft launch in late May, Downing said.
About Matt Enis