Online music service Napster will be pursuing internet advertising dollars with an ad-supported online music service, reports AdWeek. Listeners will have up to five free plays of more than 2 million songs; they then can buy the songs for 99 cents or subscribe to Napster's download service, for $9.95 to $14.95.

Napster.com will serve up not only banner ads but also a 15-second pre-roll video ad before visitors begin listening to songs; it will show additional video ads every few minutes. It has put together a small ad sales team.

Initial advertisers include the House of Blues, Activision and Samsung. Ads will be targeted by music genre.

Prior coverage:

- Ipsos: Napster, iTunes Best-Known for Fee-based Downloading
- MTV, Microsoft Have 'Urge' to Compete with iTunes
- Napster, XM Launch Co-branded Store
- Newly Announced Carat Fusion Lands Napster
- Yahoo Launches Audio, Music Search
- Legal Music Websites and Downloads Triple
- Napster to Modernista
- Yahoo Music Service to Challenge iTunes, Napster