Starbucks' song giveaway to promote iTunes deal

To promote its new in-store partnership with Apple Computer, Starbucks plans to give away 1.5 million song downloads per day from Oct. 2 to Nov. 7 in its U.S. stores.

Customers will receive free "song of the day" cards to download music chosen by Starbucks, including tunes by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Keith Urban and KT Tunstall.

The cards will be available in all U.S. Starbucks stores, although the broader rollout of free access to Apple's iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store begins at 600 Starbucks locations in Seattle and New York on Oct. 2.

Customers will have until the end of the year to redeem the cards.

The deal with Apple will let Starbucks customers access the iTunes store with no connection fee or hot-spot login.

A feature called "Now Playing" will show customers what's playing over the sound system and let them buy it from iTunes for the usual price — 99 cents per song.

Music can be downloaded to wireless iPods, iPhones, Macs and PCs with iTunes installed, but not to non-Apple portable digital music players.