Downloading free music has become increasingly more difficult since the demise of Napster, Ares, Kazaa and other downloading websites, which are not only illegal but load your computer with viruses. Apple's popular program iTunes is a legal and easy way to download music, but it costs 99 cents per song. The lack of options leaves many music lovers searching for something better.



These and other concerns were on the mind of music lover, engineer and alum of the Forestry School at Syracuse University Andrew Lombardo (brother of Phil Lombardo '05), when he began researching ways to create a downloading website that would benefit not just downloaders, but musicians and advertisers as well. After several years of research and hard work, his final product, Zaziggy.com, is available for public use.

Zaziggy.com is a different kind of music downloading website. With his self-run company, Rockstar Technologies, and his partner Shirley Ma (a patent attorney) Lombardo has created a partnership between advertisers, downloaders and up-and-coming artists. The artists range in genre from acoustic, acoustic rock, country, emo, hip hop, metal, piano, piano acoustic, pop, rap, rock, surf and surf acoustic, to appeal to all sorts of music interests.

To sign up, you simply have to go to Zaziggy.com and fill out a brief survey, whose purpose is to pair your interests up with an advertiser. The survey, which is worlds more fun than the average demographics survey, allows users to get their music for free. Here's how Zaziggy works: while downloading a song a user is paired up with an advertisement for a product based on his or her interests, which are determined based on the survey. This allows companies to target their advertisements to their desired demographic. Additionally, artists receive a royalty each time someone downloads one of their songs and they are able to access the demographics of the people who like their music.

According to the website, "the money made off of the sponsored download is split 50/50 with the artists," who maintain artistic control because Rockstar Technologies does not buy the rights to the songs. Because they make money off of the downloads, this website makes it possible for musicians to benefit from a music downloading website. And the downloads are perfectly legal. The best part is that each week new artists will be added to the website, so users can always anticipate something new. This way, Zaziggy.com provides a way for savvy people to discover new music without having to listen to the radio.

The website, which features clever graphics and just the right amount of humor, is easy and fun to use. Zaziggy.com indicates the top downloads in each genre, and recommends artists that you may like. Different artists are featured at the top of the page, along with a short biography.

If you are interested in music in any way, this website is worth looking into. For more information, check out rockstartechnologies.com/bands/. You can find out more fun facts about Zaziggy.com, as well as enjoy some great animation. Or, if you are an artist or an advertiser who is interested in becoming a part of Zaziggy.com, this link has all the information you need to get involved: rockstartechnologies.com/help. Included on the page are ways to help spread the word about this innovative new website. Lombardo is always looking for more artists and advertisers to become part of the project, as the partnership is beneficial to everyone involved. Zaziggy.com may just be the best thing so far to happen to music-lovers!