Faith in Downloads

You won’t find Eminem’s Ass Like That there. And if a song is called Can’t Keep It In, you can bet it’s about love for Jesus. Music fans looking for Christian inspiration now have a sacred space on the Internet to download songs. Howard Rachinski, creator of the Church Copyright License program, which allows houses of worship to copy music and distribute it to their congregations, will launch Songtouch.com next month. Billed as a “Christian Napster,” the service will debut with 15,000 inspirational songs, from gospel to rap, making it the most comprehensive website of its kind. Songs cost 99¢ each, although a subscription will get you unlimited monthly downloads. Rachinski, whose company gets up to 10% of the proceeds, says Songtouch is the reason he will buy his son his first MP3 player for his 10th birthday in April. “This is a place,” he says, “where parents can be sure it’s safe.” –By Wendy Cole