Napster attempts to survive, offers free service

Despite of continued efforts to regain some of the popularity the original Napster had years ago, the current paid music service continues to lose money. In the eyes of some people, Napster already offers a better service than competing iTunes, however Apple remains undisputed king of the hill along with the ever so popular iPod player.

This week Napster unveiled a new web-based service touted 'Napster Free' which does not require you to download any programs, and let's you play any song from their 2-million catalog for free. After the 5th free play of any single track, you can either purchase the track or become a Napster subscriber.

Napster hopes to capitalize on advertising shown on its website while you browse and play songs, as well as attract potential subscribers to its paid service.