Yahoo offers free music to searchers

Yahoo has added a new tool to its search facility that lets you listen to full-length music tracks without having to pay.

According to Yahoo, the new music service is designed to provide people with "instant music gratification".

"It’s happened to all of us. You hear a song on the radio that you really like or a tune gets stuck in your head and you just have to hear it again as soon as possible," said Michael Spiegelman, head of Yahoo Music, writing in Yahoo's company blog.

With full music playback, Yahoo said that surfers won't have to go and fish out a credit card before downloading a song just to hear it.

To listen to a song, search for an artist and on the right-hand side you'll get the option to "Play Full-Length Tracks". Click on a song and a box at the bottom will appear giving you the option to play and pause a track.

For example, to listen to Sex on Fire, the new UK number one from Kings of Leon, just type the artist or group or the name of the song and, along with the search results, Yahoo also gives you the option to listen to the track.

Spiegelman said that Yahoo wants to remove "the barriers that prevent people from clicking play and hearing music online".

According to Yahoo, people can listen to 25 free full-length tracks every 30 days, then listen to an unlimited number of 30-second samples until the next month begins.

www.yahoo.co.uk