Napster to give away music players

Napster, which was transformed into a legal service after turning the music industry on its ear with an unauthorized song-swapping platform, is now giving away MP3 devices to anyone who subscribes for a full year.

On its Web site, Napster said it would give consumers a Rio Chiba Sport portable music device, valued at about $130, if they sign up for the subscription, which is valued at $119.40.

The device features 128MB of storage capacity and includes a stopwatch, sports headphones and an armband.

Napster’s Web site also said consumers can upgrade to a larger capacity Rio Nitrus by paying an additional $80.

The Napster offer marks the latest example of cross-promotions among competing online music services.

Sony this month announced a deal with McDonald’s to give away free music downloads, while nearly every other major online music store–from Apple Computer’s iTunes to RealNetworks’ Rhapsody have announced joint ventures with consumer brands ranging from PepsiCo to United Airlines.

U.S. consumers have visited Napster to purchase over 10 million tracks to date, according to the company.