Forbes is reporting that SpiralFrog, the ad-supported music download site that forces its users to listen to 90-second ads before downloading a song, is behind schedule; it won’t launch until sometime next year. SpiralFrog made headlines when it announced a partnership with Universal Music Group last summer; the company forces customers to jump through a series of hoops (sitting through ads, visiting the SpiralFrog Web site, lighting a candle for Doug Morris) before downloading tracks, and once those Windows Media files are downloaded, they can’t be burned to CD or listened to on iPods. So what’s the cause of the delay–are SpiralFrog’s executives trying to think of one more way to turn users off from ever using its company’s product? (Also, an aside in the Forbes piece made us curious–what happened to SpiralFrog’s agreement with EMI, which was announced as a done deal back in September?)

Free Music–Next Year? [Forbes]
Earlier: EMI Adds Its Croak To The Spiralfrog Chorus