Yahoo Japan launched a new online music service Monday. To compete with Apple’s iTunes Music Store in Japan, the latest service allows free streaming of any of 100,000 songs before buying them.

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Other Internet music services in Japan offer only 30 seconds from free sampling, making Yahoo’s the first to offer free listening to full-length songs, Yahoo Japan spokesman Masaki Hanyu said.

However the quality of free music is only comparable to FM radio. Higher quality of musics are only available for paid download. The free offering also generate advertising revenue to Yahoo Japan. Toyota Motor Corp. and Asahi Breweries Ltd. are lined up to advertise on video commercials preceding the free songs.

{ via BusinessWeek }