Apple partners with Quiksilver for free iTunes

Recently, in the TRACKS surfing magazine I was interested to find the following iTunes card bundled inside the front cover.

Previously, I’d only ever seen cards like these at the Back-to-Uni promotions that Apple runs at Uni Campuses around the country. Apple and Quiksilver created a unique partnership here where both companies gain exposure, but also have allowed me to find some really great music, for free. While I don’t like all of the 17 tracks that came with the iTunes card, some of them are great listening material and certainly worth the $0.00 I payed for them (minus for the broadband connection of course).

I think partnerships like these are an exciting prospect for the future of the iTunes store, especially as it increasingly moves into the iTunes Plus – non DRM space (which, incidentally, I’m loving more and more). My guess is that the typical reader of Tracks magazine is not a typical iTunes, or computer user, and this deal is a great hook to get people interested in purchasing music online.

Click on the image for a larger screen shot of the iTunes store Quiksilver checkout page.

I’m curious to know if Apple and other partners will create more opportunities like these. I’m wondering who paid for the music that I, and many others, downloaded. Apple probably made this deal a loss-leader but I’m not sure what Quiksilver did to get this deal – maybe just promotion of their DVD or maybe just brand awareness.
Regardless, free music is great, especially when it is as easy as typing in a short code to get.

-james