Sony’s PlayStation-exclusive SingStar series has gone free-to-play, so long as a loose definition of the term is employed. Sony announced today that PlayStation 3 owners can download the game from the XMB and try out several short demo songs at no cost.

Beyond that, players will need to pay. The game’s catalog of songs, numbering nearly 3,000, must be purchased. Additionally, players will need to supply their own microphone or PlayStation Eye camera for vocal detection.

Speaking to Gamasutra, SingStar franchise senior producer Chris Bruce explained that due to previously established licensing agreements, the game cannot become an entirely free-to-play experience.

“Obviously you need to buy the songs, and we have a license to pay to the licensors,” he said. “But we obviously want to get as many people trying it as we possibly can.”