The Economist is now available on audio, through the iPad or iPhone. Professional broadcasters read articles from each week's issue so that busy subscribers can listen to them on the way to work or meetings.

This was clearly an occasion to promote not just the new service to existing subscribers, but also an opportunity to appeal to the larger audience. By making complex world issues understandable through the medium of song, we hope to open their minds to an Economist subscription.

SFX: APPLAUSE; CROWD CHEERINGSINGER: This one’s called “The Pirates of Somalia’ MUSICSINGER: (SINGING) The Somali pirates have perfected the knackOf hijacking ships with armed attacksTheir piracy is now a global curseIt threatens lives, trade and commerceSeven billion is the annual costCountermeasures, ransoms, delays and lossOh, the problem is as large as the Indian OceanAnd no one, as yet, has a lasting solutionUltimately, to turn the tide We must offer the pirates a new way of lifeBut who wants to sort out Somalia?

Its warlords with links to Al-Qaeda? Meanwhile, the pirates get rich off this racketThe marine insurers, they too make a packetThe ship-owners grumble but pass on the billTheir customers suffer, the sailors get killedDoes the violence have to worsenBefore the world will sit up and listen?

SFX: APPLAUSE; CROWD CHEERINGVO: The Economist. You used to read it. Now you can also listen to it.

Get the audio version on your iPhone or iPad and unlock a fresh perspective.