CokeTunes launch sparked a mini price war.

The launch of New Zealand's biggest legal music download site this week has already sparked a mini price war.

CokeTunes went live on Monday offering more than 500,000 songs by more than 12,000 artists, ranging from Green Day to Fat Freddy's Drop. Each song costs $1.75 and albums start at $18.

But on Wednesday, Digirama, the second biggest music download store in New Zealand, dropped its prices from $1.99 a song to $1.69, and from $19.99 an album to $17.99, to undercut CokeTunes. And that's got to be good for us, the consumers.

CokeTunes has well and truly beaten Apple's iTunes music store on to the New Zealand market. Apple will not even say if it intends to launch iTunes locally.

But the reality is, with arrival of CokeTunes, you can now legally download your little heart out. So with that in mind, here are some good and not so good things about CokeTunes.

Bonuses

With more than 500,000 songs available it is far bigger than Digirama, which has only 73,237 tracks available.

Coke has four out of the five major record labels in New Zealand on board, which means a giant selection of artists to choose from. And when it gets Sony/BMG on the books, which Coke is currently negotiating to do, you'll be able to download J' Lo too.

It's pretty cheap at $1.75 a track, and albums starting at $18. In comparison, Digirama dropped its prices on Wednesday to $1.69 a track and $17.99 for an album. Although, if Apple's iTunes store was accessible in New Zealand then you could buy a song for 99USc (that's about $1.45).

Until August 31, every time you buy a $30 credit on CokeTunes you get an extra $30 free.

Starting in November, by donating revenue from every track that's sold on the site, the CokeTunes Music Fund will offer grants to young local musicians.

It's a legal download site so the artists are getting paid.

Coke has beaten Apple. Apple will not say when, or even if, iTunes will open in New Zealand.

Bummers

CokeTunes is not compatible with your iPod, sorry.

PC only thank you. Macs do not compute.

You need the latest Internet Explorer browser to access the site.

Because it is a Coke product it stinks of corporate carry-on. But hey, music has been big business for years now. Scott Kara

How to do it

1 Log on to Coke Tunes

2 If you haven't got it, install Windows Media Player 10.

3 Get credit.

4 Browse the store.

5 Download tracks.