File-sharing software LimeWire has decided to go the legitimate way -- like Napster did a few years ago. Except that when Napster re-launched with legal downloads, it turned out a big failure.

Reported to have been under development for the last six months, the LimeWire Store beta has finally launched with 50,000 songs for sale -- provided by Iris Distribution and Nettwerk Productions, both indie-label distributors. Interestingly, Nettwerk Productions is home to the Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, and Paul Van Dyk, among others.

The homepage of the LimeWire Store beta very interestingly mentions that their songs will be playable on iPods -- "Our DRM-free MP3s are compatible with all standard MP3 players [even those from another fruit company]." The songs will be of 256 kbps quality. Later, 'Buy' links will be added alongside 'Download' links in the LimeWire Peer-2-Peer (P2P) application interface. This is hoping that users will choose to legally buy hi-quality songs rather than illegally download low-quality songs for free. Similar to Apple's iTunes pricing, songs will be priced at 99 cents per track and as low as 27 cents for monthly subscriptions.

Around a year ago, LimeWire was sued by the IFPI, RIAA, Universal Music, Sony BMG, EMI, and Warner Music Group for facilitating illegal file sharing; subsequently, LimeWire sued the companies in retaliation. As such, LimeWire may find it difficult to sign on major music labels.

However reports seem to suggest that this growing trend of P2P service providers offering legal song downloads may give rise to a new order in the music industry, wherein smaller bands and indie labels no longer need to depend solely on big studios and corporates to get paid for their music.

In the long run, this might even prove beneficial to both artists and listeners who'll get to access a wider variety of music at affordable prices.

While illegal MP3 downloads too have helped indie labels and small bands to gain publicity, it will now be possible for them to get paid by fans who may choose (at least once in a while) to 'buy' a song instead of just 'downloading' it.