Free Music Site SpiralFrog Finally Calls It Quits
by Peter Kafka
Posted on March 20, 2009 at 5:40 AM PT
Spiralfrog, the free music service that also doubled as an awesome money-burning machine, seems to have finally given up the ghost. CNET reports that the site, overwhelmed by debt, shut down last night.
[UPDATE: A source familiar with the situation tells me that the company is indeed dead and that any remaining assets are being handed over to creditors.]
Music industry sources had told me that SpiralFrog, which offered free, ad-supported downloads–with several strings attached–was shopping itself in recent months.
When I asked CEO Joe Mohen about that on March 2, he insisted that his company was merely seeking “to have a strategic relationship with certain large companies to augment our sales team.” If he calls back, I’ll tell you what he has to say today.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see other music sites go dark, too. Several of SpiralFrog’s competitors have been looking for money or buyers as well.
