Starbucks offering free iTunes downloads

Starbucks Corp. is offering free digital music and videos to drive foot traffic into its stores.

The Seattle-based company said Tuesday that it is teaming up with Apple's iTunes to put "Pick of the Week" cards in each of more than 7,000 company-operated stores nationwide. The cards can be redeemed using iTunes for free music videos or songs.

The first Pick of the Week is available Tuesday. It is Counting Crow's new song, "Washington Square."

The companies began partnering in October 2006, and one year later launched the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at select Starbucks coffee shops in New York, Seattle and San Francisco. The Wi-Fi store lets customers download music onto their iPhone, iPod touch or computer using the stores' wireless networks.

When Apple and Starbucks gave customers a free "song of the day" for a month in October, more than 6 million songs were downloaded.