MOG Launches Free Music "Gas Tank," Rdio Adds Free Option

It wasn't long ago that you could get free music on the radio, assuming you could stand the commercials.  Now and then you could perhaps walk by an outdoor concert.  Or try to enjoy your neighbor's bulked-up sound blaster.

Then along came iTunes.  OK, it wasn't free but it offered a vast selection and easy integration with all kinds of devices.  There were plenty of motley  pirate services that offered "free" (as in stolen) music but they have mostly been made to walk the plank.

Now there's music in the air, everywhere.  Well, online anyway, ever since Spotify came to town.  In Europe,

Spotify quickly became even more popular than the religious icon the Beetles claimed to outdraw and seems to be doing the same Stateside. And as you would expect,  new free and sort-of-free services are popping up like weeds.

Something called MOG (perhaps in tribute to the Moog Synthersizer?) is launching tonight at 9 pm. Eastern time, an online catalog of 11 million songs.  Free.  All free.  Well, for awhile anyway.

MOG says the free version will be ad-free for the first 60 days, so that everyone has plenty of time to get hooked.  Thereafter, expect some ads.

Catering to the current popular fascination with online gaming, MOG issues each user a "gas tank" full of music.  To refill your tank all you have to do, we're told, is listen, share and spend time on the MOG site.

There's also a subscription model called MOG Primo.

Rdio

Then there's Rdio.  Rdio has previously had a subscription model but now says it will offer a free music version that will also be ad-free.  

How long will that last?  Ah hah, the company's not saying. All Rdio will say is that it will not bother subscribers with constant reminders to please, please, please sign up for a paid plan.  Instead it will decide, based on who knows what, when to end the free trial period.