Bebo introduces music sotre

Social networking website Bebo is introducing a music download service allowing bands to sell music.
Bebo introduced a bands section in July 2006 which allowed users to upload their own tracks. The new indiestore service, in partnership with web music firm 7digital, allows bands to upload and sell four tracks, with the band keeping 70% of the revenue.
Bands can upgrade to a "pro" service to sell up to 20 tracks and keep 80% of the revenue. The same tool can be used to play market tracks from any of the artists on the indiestore site, which includes tracks from 4,000 major and indie labels.
Unlike MySpace, Bebo only allows selected companies to supply widgets or plug-in services to the site but indiestore is the only music widget for the site.
MySpace introduced a music-buying service in September 2006 in partnership with Snocap, but the service has not yet been extended to the UK.
A spokesperson for MySpace said that the deal was a "natural extension" for the music on MySpace and that the company is looking at expanding similar services internationally.
The 7digital managing director, Ben Drury, said the service differs from the Snocap service, in which users listen and buy through a widget.
"It's like a sampler, so you listen to the tracks, view the artwork and so on inside the widget and then come out to the indiestore site to buy," he said.
"We don't believe that people are comfortable entering credit card details in a widget."
Bebo users can also buy tracks with PayPal, through BT Click and Buy and by text message. The indiestore service will be available to Bebo users in the UK and Ireland, US and Canada and Australia and News Zealand.
The site currently has 450,000 registered bands. MySpace has 6.5m.