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"The World at Work is powered by GE. This new series highlights the people, projects and startups that are driving innovation and making the world a better place.\n\nName: FairShareMusic\nBig Idea: UK online store FairShareMusic sells millions of songs and vows to give at least half of its net profits to charities that address major issues such as world hunger, cancer research and endangered species.\nWhy It's Working: The website infuses philanthropy into music fans' lives. The more a user downloads songs, the more donations are made to charities all over the world.\nWhat if you could help make the world a better place with the click of a button? With FairShareMusic, you can. \nSince 2010, the London-based company has offered top songs for download in its online music store. And with one click of the \"Buy\" button, consumers simultaneously get their favorite tunes and donate money to charity.\nIt's simple: You pick the songs, you pick the charities, and a portion of your payment goes to an issue that you care about. \nFairShareMusic, which donates 50% of its net profits to charities, touts its selection of more than 18 million tracks, with Carly Rae Jepsen's viral hit \"Call Me Maybe\" currently listed among the top downloads. The songs integrate into your iTunes or Windows media libraries seamlessly, with no extra software required. \n\u201CWe stimulate change in giving by promoting social action, connecting people and charities through music.\"\n\"We stimulate change in giving by promoting social action, connecting people and charities through music \u2014 making it easier for people to give directly to a cause through something they\u2019re passionate about, whilst promoting further a culture of giving and increasing the amount existing donors give to charity.\" co-founder Lee Cannon told Mashable.\nFairShareMusic has seen steady growth in the past 12 months with sales and customer numbers increasing.\n\"Unique visits are converting into registrations at approximately 6%, with 98% going on to purchase. 62% of registered customers have bought more than once, and our average basket size is almost double the UK average at \u00A37.20,\" Cannon says. \nFairShareMusic is optimizing the store for mobile and will eventually release Android and BlackBerry apps. \nHere's how the company divvies out your money to British and international charities, such as Amnesty International, British Red Cross, Centrepoint, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam, Teenage Cancer Trust and World Wide Fund for Nature, among others: FairShareMusic pledges to always donate at least 4% of each track's price. The other portions of the cost get doled out to the \"tax man,\" record label, music publisher and bank. \nCannon says the larger charities do well, as do the ones with strong associations with music such as War Child, TCT, Youth Music and Nordoff Ronbins.\nHe and Jonny Woolf launched the store, which operates in pounds and pences, in June 2010 after having dipped their toes in other music and charitable ventures. \nWould you use FairShareMusic? Let us know in the comments.\n\n\n\n\nSeries presented by GE\n\n\nThe World at Work is powered by GE. GE Works focuses on the people who make the things that move, power, build and help to cure the world."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2012/05/25/fairsharemusic/>