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The company that once touted itself as the world’s number two online music store is planning a new website, as well as a cloud-based locker, to attract new customers. Although its subscriber base is off 16 percent from a peak several years back, eMusic’s has a new CEO and is getting ready for a fresh assault on digital music.

eMusic, an online music service perhaps best know for its 25 free mp3 download offer, is back in the news after a long hiatus. All Things D reports that company has signed a new CEO, Adam Klein, who will lead the company in the roll out of a new, more engaging website by year’s end and cloud-based digital music locker service in 2011.

The music locker could enter a limited, invitation-only beta by year’s end, as well, though additional details are sketchy at best. Thereupon, it’s said that users will be able to stream music they’ve purchased from eMusic, and perhaps even their own music, on any device, including the Mac and iPhone.

It isn’t known if the service will require an additional fee.

Thinking different

eMusic has long been the odd-man out of the digital music business with its $12-per-month subscription model that gives customers the right to down 24 DRM-free mp3s per month. Nevertheless, whereas all-you-can-eat purveys Napster and Rhapsody have all but died, eMusic remains viable with 375,000 subscribers and annual revenues of $65-million.

If you haven’t previously taken advantage of it yet, eMusic’s 25 free mp3 download offer is well worth the 15 or 20 minutes it will take you to sign up, find some music, download it and then close your account. Then again, at 50 cents per song with steady diet of specials and free, member-only downloads, the company does have a pretty decent subscription plan…

What’s your take?