Starbucks Serving Free iTunes

For more than a month beginning next week Starbucks will offer customers free iTunes downloads of songs by major artists like Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The freebie marks a new partnership between the coffee giant and Apple, Inc. Company executives expect Starbucks will give away 50 million songs by the time the promotion ends November 7.

The downloads will be offered beginning Oct. 2 at 10,000 stores. The deal is expected to lure increased traffic to Starbucks, which hopes to boost its reputation as a destination for both caffeine devotees and music lovers. Though still highly profitable, Starbucks' stock has slipped in the last year as the company struggles with increased competition and rising costs. (More Starbucks stories.)