It’s not just Radiohead and indie bands who are embracing digital music — classical music artists are also keen to get involved with the trend of music downloads. Violinist Tasmin Little has released her album Naked Violin as a free download.

Little has said that she didn’t think many people would be tempted to buy the album as it was, but the response to offering free MP3 downloads of the LP has been “phenomenal” and could play a pivotal role in her career.

Little has given away thousands of free MP3 downloads and her website now receives 30 times as much traffic as before. Although she isn’t making money from sales of the MP3 downloads, she’s made a name for herself and can reap the benefits in other ways, such as concerts and endorsements, as well as future albums.

Free MP3 downloads clearly create a major buzz when marketed right.

In the US in 2007, MP3 downloads of classical albums were up almost 50% on the previous year.

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