Microsoft has released a beta version of its MSN Music store on Wednesday where consumers can purchase music for 99 cent a track. However, its Windows media player 10 is to launch on the 2nd September as planned. Its final version of MSN Music is due to launch in October with a library of over 1 million songs along with music searching built into its Internet search engine. Unlike most competing Music download stores, MSN Music will fully function through Windows Media Player, which means users do not need to download separate software.
As mentioned in the previous article, Microsoft is not interested in profit from its Music store, as their main aim is to effectively lock customers to the Windows operating system, Windows media DRM equipment as well as entice users to use the MSN search engine and possibly its MSN messenger service also. The MSN search will be upgraded to work as search engine for its music store in an aim to entice consumers away from competing search engines such as Google. With MSN messenger, they plan on allowing messenger buddies in a chat session to listen to each other's music if they manage to get approval from the record labels.
So far, there is no mention of CD burning support, if
consumers are limited to Windows XP / Media Player 10, what PCs users can take their music to or what will the typical pricing of album downloads be.
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The software giant quietly raised the curtain for its MSN Music Web site, which offers song downloads for 99 cents. The store also has a home in Windows Media Player 10, which is slated to launch on Thursday. MSN Music will enable people to download tracks onto their hard drives and onto portable devices that support the Windows Media digital audio format. Unlike Apple's iTunes, the MSN store does not require users to download a separate software program to access the music lineup. In the coming weeks, Microsoft plans to add features into MSN Music, such as expanding its library to 1 million songs and tighter integration with search. The company said it expects a full release of MSN Music in October. MSN corporate vice president Yusuf Mehdi said during a press briefing earlier this week that the company's move into online music is less about getting into the retail business and more about taking advantage of digital music's popularity to benefit Microsoft's grander ambitions, such as selling premium services and bolstering its Windows operating system. "The revenue (potential) is not from the sale of music," Mehdi said. "It's about helping to drive search, MSN and Windows." |
Microsoft on Wednesday released a beta version of its highly expected online music download service, in hopes of unseating Apple Computer's dominance in the hot market.Looks like Microsoft could start facing further antitrust suits if this ends up killing the competition. Like Internet Explorer, Windows Media player is built into Windows. However, as Microsoft is currently leaving unlimited subscription offers to its potential Janus customers, they may need to come up with other good reasons why one should purchase its 99 cent tracks over its non-Windows Media rivals. While MSN's search is a close competitor to Google, I doubt that adding a 'Buy Song' feature to music related results is going to make the majority of surfers move away from their existing search engine.
One thing Microsoft is probably forgetting is that iTunes had done very well as a Mac only music service before launching its PC version. Microsoft however is deliberately leaving out Mac support which effectively eliminates a lot of potential non-PC customers to its service. As a result, Microsoft may feel satisfied with trying to lock existing customers to its OS, but will certainly not make Mac fans leave their iTunes service and their Mac and switch over to a Windows based PC.
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Source: CNET News - Music
