Social networking site Bebo signs iTunes UK deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bebo Inc.'s British and Irish users will be able to buy songs from Apple Inc.'s iTunes music store while they are still on the artist's profile at the social networking site, according to an agreement announced on Wednesday.

Bebo said the deal would initially enable its 8.8 million users in the United Kingdom and Ireland to buy millions of songs without having to leave the site.

The music industry has been eager to harness the huge popularity of social networking sites with young users, who are typically its biggest online consumers.

Bebo, which is based in San Francisco and has more than 500,000 registered musicians on its site, aims to build awareness of the new service by rewarding users with a free song from a new artist each week in a promotion called "Free Single Saturday."

Most modern pop music artists have profiles on sites like Bebo and MySpace, which is owned by News Corp. Such pages play a promotional role by allowing users to add an artist to their page as a "friend," helping to ultimately create a fan base.

While talent scouts used to hunt for new acts in smoky nightclubs, they are now just as likely to scour social networking sites for new artists.

But some fans have used such sites to illegally upload digital songs for distribution.

Last month, Warner Music Group Corp., the world's fourth-largest music company, sued Imeem Inc., a music-based social networking site, for infringing the copyrights of artists that included Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Green Day.

Last November, Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, sued MySpace for copyright infringement after finding thousands of its artists' songs and videos on the site. It accused MySpace of encouraging illegal distribution by users. The case is expected to go to court next year.