Music service will help fight Aids

12:37am Tuesday 2nd December 2008

Artists as diverse as Sir Elton John and Jay-Z will offer world exclusive songs through a new music service to help fight Aids in Africa.

RED WIRE will act as a digital magazine, delivering news and music to members' desktops while donating half the £4 monthly fee to fund work alleviating the effects of the disease.

It has been set up by RED, the project established by Bono and others to engage the private sector in raising awareness and help finance Aids programmes.

RED WIRE has joined up with internet giant MSN to reach millions of people through today's launch.

Throughout the day, music lovers will be able to view performances from U2, Coldplay, John Legend, Dixie Chicks, the Police and Elvis Costello and Sheryl Crow by logging on to red.msn.com.

Other performances include The Killers and Sir Elton's Christmas song Joseph, which is being released exclusive to RED WIRE two weeks before its official release date.

Half of each month's membership fee will go directly to the Global Fund set up to help buy life-saving medicines and other services for people living with HIV and Aids in Africa.

Don MacKinnon, founder of Hear Music and former vice president of Music & Entertainment of Starbucks, is one of the men behind the new venture. He said: "Every week, when you receive this great music, you will know you are helping people in Africa get the medicine they need. It is that simple."

Bono, U2 frontman and co-founder of RED, said: "Don MacKinnon just might be the penicillin the ailing music needs. He is an innovator by nature and I have no doubt that some of the music software we are working on at RED will help change the way music is received and change the lives of Africans who will die without Aids drugs that red can help provide."