Best Buy Sounds Out Music-Download Scene

The Digital Hits experiment, available in Best Buy stores such as those in Bloomington and Peoria, Ill., isn't quite yet as elaborate as it could be. For now, it is based around $10 Digital Hits music debit cards -- the equivalent of prepaid phone cards, but for music -- and a catalog of Windows Media Format songs sold online for $1 apiece.

After buying these $10 cards, available only in stores, users can use the money on the cards to download the songs in the Digital Hits catalog on their own computer. In theory, as the catalog expands, consumers could consult a touch-screen kiosk at each store to get a sense of the available music selections. But for now, the Digital Hits card appears to be promoted with endcap aisle displays, brochures and sales associates carrying computer printouts of the current catalog.

While the $1-per-song price might tempt users, limited selection and restrictions on file usage have in the past discouraged users from paid Internet music services. Though it's believed Best Buy will have music from at least four of the five major record labels, as of Thursday its catalog includes music from only AOL Time Warner's (AOL Quote) Warner Music Group and EMI Group.

On Thursday, the catalog comprised around 85 songs in categories such as country/folk, rap/hip-hop and rock/indie/pop. The selections, from artists including N*E*R*D, Linkin Park, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith Hill and Matchbox 20, appear for the most part to have been released within the past two years.

While users get unlimited playback of a song on their computer in return for their dollar, restrictions on songs' additional use varies by record label, according to Best Buy's Digital Hits site. EMI songs can be "burned" onto a recordable audio CD twice, can be installed on three different computers, and can be downloaded onto certain portable devices an unlimited number of times. Warner songs can't be burned onto a CD, can be installed on only one computer, and apparently can't be downloaded onto portable devices.