RSSMicrosoft, MTV Put URGE Service Live
By Nate Mook | Published May 17, 2006, 12:01 PM
As expected, Microsoft on Wednesday released the first beta build of Windows Media Player 11, which includes the company's new URGE subscription music service it co-developed with MTV Networks. iRiver also began shipping its Clix portable music player to complete the end-to-end offering.
The URGE service touts a library of nearly two million tracks, and has a two-tier service plan. Those who wish to listen to tracks on their PCs only can register for a $9.95 USD All Access monthly plan, while those wishing to download to compatible players can need to sign up for the $14.95 USD All Access to Go monthly tier.
Both subscription plans come with access to 130 commercial-free radio stations and more than 500 playlists, as well as feeds of automatically updating playlists. Music blogs, user-created mixes, editorial content, and MTV channel hubs will also be part of URGE.
In addition to the subscription offerings, URGE allows for per-track downloads at 99 cents a song. Unlike the tracks downloaded through the subscription plan, users would still be able to listen to these songs after cancellation of those plans.
On the backend, URGE is powered by MusicNet, the same company that provides the digital music library for Yahoo! Music Unlimited. Songs are streamed in a bitrate of 128 kbps, while downloads are offered at 192 kbps.
Windows Media Player 11, to be a part of Windows Vista, includes several enhancements to better compete with market-leading iTunes. It features vastly improved music search and management capabilities, streamlined user interface that utilizes album cover art, and better portable device support.
Improvements have been made to PlaysForSure to ensure seamless transfer of music, much like the iPod when connected to iTunes. Microsoft is updating its PlaysForSure program in order to "raise the bar" for consumers. One of the new requirements for verification is performance improvements when connecting a portable player to Windows XP.
The final piece of the puzzle is iRiver's Clix player, which is priced at $199 USD and includes 2GB of storage. According to Sean Alexander, group product manager at Microsoft, the two companies have been working on the unit since late last year.
The device looks much like the iRiver U10 first introduced last year, but there are several key enhancements. "Our team worked closely with iRiver, providing feedback, usability resources, and assistance on interaction design starting with a complete 'teardown' of the existing iRiver U10 product," Alexander said.
Microsoft's role in the development of the Clix is clear in the user interface and its deep integration with WMP11. Album art, ratings, play count, and playlists all now sync directly with the device, and synchronization speed has been improved.
Windows Media Player 11 Beta is available for download now from FileForum.
I downloaded WMP 11 and then Urge. Urge opens but no songs. Got 14 day free trail. Called Urge support. They don't have a clue. I can't download or even see and songs. Only see store.urge.com web page. When I click on anything it goes back to home page. When I do a search for a song like Bad Day says can't find it. Anyone having this porblem?
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|I downloaded WMP11 and I quite like the new UI. I'm in the UK and they presumably haven't opened any online stores here yet; at least, WMP says "There are no online stores available for your location". Early days yet, I suppose...
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|I downloaded it and gave it a go. I still think it has a way to go to compete with iTunes. Ease of use is what makes iTunes my choice. The GUI is much improved with the new WMP. The interface is still not as simplified as iTunes. As of now, there is no reason to switch to this. Im sticking with iTunes.
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|One of the best improvements in this version is that fact I don't have to wait and scroll down to get all the sound files loaded in my playlists. It's already there ready to be played.
I'm planning to start using URGE just to try it out. I have iTunes but if MTV's product is better, I'm switching...especially since it has more than 2,000,000 songs in its database.
So far with this beta of WMP 11, I'm liking it.
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|What?!?! You mean I wasn't the only person on the planet that this bothered! Amazing!
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|Remember when Bertellsman AG was hyping GNAB (BANG spelled backwards)? How about EGRU? Yeah! I think I'm close to getting my MBA now.
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|"urge = crap"
what exactly makes it crap out of curiousity?
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|URGE = CRAP
DONE AND DONE.
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|it did not tell me I needed windows media center installed with no problems...
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|I tried installing urge it said I needed Windows Media Center 2005 edition... something that isn't made clear in the system requirements.
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|What did you download? I installed it fine on Windows XP SP2.
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|Yeah me either, I downloaded it last night!
It worked fine, but I don't see anything that is worth the trouble so far... It looks the same, maybe a small aesthetic improvement, but then I have Windows blinds, so maybe it didn't change because of that.
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|Itunes is slow and clunky looking...this has a much sleeker interface then itunes even the urge store is nicer looking...I havent bought anything from the store yet so I cannot compare quality it also loads faster then itunes does and if you close wmp its still not running in the background... (itunes has several apps that run in the background even when itunes is not in use) and you are forced to install quicktime to use itunes... time will tell and the iriver clix looks pretty freaking cool too...
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|Sorry folks. I was really hoping WMP11 would mean some competition to iTunes, but I really do not see the point to switching to it, as iTunes does every little thing better than WMP! (I am concentrating on the app here not on URGE). Really the interface is (still) near-to-crap, it is much more cluttered than iTunes, it is not easy on the eyes (e.g. grey background, no lines between song lists, wow! even no lines between columns! thats bu**sh*t-interface design!). The one thing where WMP tries to copy iTunes is the most ugly of all, and that is the completely out-of-taste buttons and controls in "candy"-look like Apple OSX's scrolls! Sorry thats crap. Hope they do better with Vista or I'll have to write my own OS ;-)))
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|At least I don't have the player ALWAY running in the background like, dare I say it iTunes.
Copied controls. This has been there for the last few versions. Before iTunes was even around
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|Great job done by Microsft and URGE, if you have not tried it yet see for urself very exciting. Good bye Itunes u will be missed :)
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|Microsoft has really done a nice job with this upgrade....and Urge beats all the other subscription services hands down. It is sleeker, faster, and more stable. I love it, and I'm already addicted :)
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|I'll check it out Friday. Mmm...payday....
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|Uh Oh. I see another law suit coming. Clix was a trademark OS by Intergraph back in the late 1980's. (fingers in ears, humming, la la la la la la...)
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|Funny, I get an URGE after eating bran muffins and drinking coffee.
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|I get an URGE whenever I look at my 3D, holographic, Uma Thurman poster.
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|I like Charlize Theron -ah...-
Uma Thurman is cute, she is also very tall!
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|The taller the better.
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|Still think that itunes has an edge, BUT Urge will definitely give it a run for its money. Unfortunately URGE does not work in Canada yet so for me, iTunes still rules.
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|i don't know about ITUNES but i have been using the service for a few days already and find the subscription services downloads a more stable than others. i am switching to this service and canceling my other one. i have tried Napster, Rhapsody and yahoo
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|This is a big upgrade from Media Player 11. Microsoft did a great job on the upgrade, with major improvements in "music search", and improved the Library.
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|we'll see if this will be an itunes killer. The subscription stuff is better though. With urge if you unsubscribe, you can still keep the music, which is mutch, mutch better then napster/yahoo because , you own the music, or at least it looks like you do! I am a filesharer because I like more ubscure music then the pop stuff that's avaliable on urge right now, but if they deepen there catalogue and add nonpop stuff that isn't on any other service like this e.g. electronic genres, tuns of ppl would use it. I know this is kinda a optamistic view for a filesharer to take, but if they do this right, and I'm almost sure they won't, this could be a great service.
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