This really does appear to be the time for musicians to put music out through non-music apps.

Chance The Rapper has partnered with Lyft, the ride-sharing app, to make his The Big Day album available through it. What was different about this was that Lyft users and Lyft drivers in the US and Canada had a limited window in which to download the album for free via the Lyft app. As the album was a giveaway, it would not count towards the US charts.

Not that Chance The Rapper cares as it was not merely a smart promotion – it also had a philanthropic side to it. Anyone downloading the album was encouraged to make a donation to his non-profit organisation, New Chance: Arts & Literature Fund. “I want as many people as possible to have access to my music,” said Chance on a blog on the Lyft website.

“After working with Chance the Rapper to create an episode of Undercover Lyft in support of Chicago Public Schools, we were excited to continue our collaboration by partnering on his first official album with riders and drivers at the center of the experience,” says Austin Schumacher, the head of culture and entertainment at Lyft in the same blog post. “From cassette tapes to passing the aux cord, music and driving have always gone hand in hand, and we wanted to create a new in-car experience. We’re thrilled to partner with Chance again, and to continue supporting artists who share our values to highlight their work and the causes they believe in.”

It is part of a blossoming relationship between Chance and Lyft. Last year, he took part in Undercover Lyft in support of Chicago Public Schools where he worked as a Lyft driver to surprise fans in his hometown of Chicago.