Tesco begins music-download site today

Tesco theUK's number 1 supermarket chain has announced that it will be launching its on music download service on today called Tesco Downloads. The new service is set to compete with Apple iTunes who are the current leader in the digital music download market. Tesco reckons that the UK digital music market is worth at least £25 Million.

The Tesco music store will be using Microsoft's Media Player software and will charge 79 pence per track. The service will offer around 500,000 tracks and according to Tesco its system will give users improved sound quality. The chief executive of Tesco.com said it's the first time that fathers are spending more money on music each week than their sons. The chief executive went onto to say customers will want more and more choice as digital music player's fall.

Tesco reckons their is market share to be taken and will obviously want to replicate the success of its biggest rival Wal-Mart who launched their own music service in the US to much success.

Tesco, the UK's biggest supermarket chain, is launching an online music service on Monday which it hopes will rival Apple's market-leading iTunes. Demand has grown for music available over the internet and Tesco estimates the UK market is now worth £25m. Tesco said its digital music store will use Microsoft's Windows Media Player and will charge 79 pence per song. It plans to offer more than 500,000 tracks and says its system will give users improved sound quality. "Music buying is changing," said Laura Wade Gery, chief executive of Tesco.com. "We know that for the first time dads are spending more on music each week than their teenage sons." "As the price of portable digital players falls, customers will demand more choice," said Ms Gery. "That is what we are delivering." The shopping chain said it chose to use Microsoft's Media Player as it is compatible with, and can be loaded onto, a large proportion of portable players on the market, apart from Apple's iPod. Tesco, however, reckons there is market share to be taken and will be hoping to replicate the success of Wal-Mart in the US.

With all these music services launched, who do you think will crash and burn first with so many services and so little money to be made?

Source: BBC NEWS