A few weeks ago, iTunes users in different countries noticed that the free downloadable single of the week, a staple in the iTunes music store since it began, was missing from the front page of the store. Where did it go? It turns out that while the free single feature is gone, Apple has made it easier to find a whole page of free downloads.
Apple didn’t answer comment requests from publications (including Consumerist) about the change, so users were left to speculate wildly about where the free stuff had gone. The best explanation was that the company was phasing out downloads of free items altogether in favor of letting users stream new tunes to try them out. This makes sense in the context of Apple’s acquisition of Beats, the headphone and streaming-audio company, but it isn’t the case just yet.
You can reach the free downloads page from this direct link if you’re using a device with iTunes installed on it, and the section is also easy to find from within iTunes. It’s in the same spot where the free single of the week used to be.
Some readers pointed out that the Google Play store also offers free downloads.
by Laura Northrup via Consumerist