Recruitment spending among colleges has increased substantially in recent years, with marketing budgets jumping 50% in the past seven years. Colleges of all sizes have successfully used music download cards as a student recruiting tool. The cards are distributed at recruiting events and drive students to the college's website where they can download music. Students optionally provide their contact information, which colleges then use for future communication. The music download promotion is an effective way for colleges to connect with prospective students and collect their information for ongoing recruitment efforts.