Tech Shout!

When Apple officially unveiled its newest iPod Touch, the company also announced a partnership with the Starbucks coffee chain and hinted at the possibility of a new wireless version of iTunes. Now, it has come to be known that on October 2, Apple will launch its iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store.

The iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store will feature Starbucks exclusive “Now Playing” service. And, as part of the celebrations, customers will receive complimentary Starbucks’ “Song of the Day” cards that are redeemable on the iTunes Store for either PC or Mac platforms.

According toKen Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment, “This is a landmark moment for Starbucks. With the launch of the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks we can now provide the same classic coffeehouse experience and compelling music offerings our customers have come to expect from us through a new platform ideal for the digital music consumer. This is the first step in combining the power of brick and mortar retail and digital music.”

The “Song of the Day” feature allows customers to use the T-Mobile HotSpot Wi-Fi Network at certain Starbucks outlets to wirelessly download music on to their iPhone, iPOd Touch or laptop from the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store. This is all possible without any sort of Wi-Fi connection fees or HotSpot login.

Moreover, Starbucks plans to introduce a new “Now Playing” feature that will allow customers to use the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks to instantly preview, buy and download the music currently playing overhead.

Interestingly, “Song of the Day” will offer users songs from top artists such as Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Annie Lennox, Joni Mitchell, Keith Urban, Joss Stone and Paul McCartney. Upcoming artists such as Sia, Band of Horses and Fredrico Aubele are also set to be featured here.

From October 2 onwards Starbucks outlets in the US will offer iTunes Digital Release Cards for sale. Each of these cards contains a full album’s wprth of music and features collectible artwork as well.

After this card has been activated upon purchase at Starbucks, customers will be able to download the album and bonus material on the iTunes Store for Mac or PC platforms.

Beside, Starbucks also plans to introduce the Starbucks Card Plus Two, which is a limited edition re-loadable Starbucks card with added bonus value. When this card is registered online, the cardholder will receive two complimentary song downloads of their choice on the US iTunes Store.