News

Microsoft Previews Music Store

By David Worthington | Published September 7, 2004, 12:43 AM

Following the success of Apple's iTunes Music Store, Microsoft worked quickly to catch online music's rising star. After many months of development, the results are in: MSN Music, Windows Media Player 10, and Portable Media Centers have been formally launched.

Microsoft has launched a beta trial of the MSN Music Store which is integrated into the Windows Media Player 10 software. The trial features over 500,000 songs, but Microsoft is promising to break the one million mark by the time it cuts the ribbon on the service in October.

Pricing is on par with iTunes at 99 cents per song or a $10 USD flat fee per album. Unlike Apple, Microsoft has made the concession of permitting artists to limit MSN music sales exclusively to albums without offering singles.

Aside from some dramatic cosmetic changes and the inclusion of the MSN Music Store, WMP 10 is largely the vehicle for Microsoft's next generation digital rights management technology dubbed "Janus".

Janus is a secure clock DRM technology that permits content to be licensed under a subscription pricing model and transferred to portable devices. If a subscription lapses or is discontinued, playback is disabled.

Portable Media Center (PMC) devices are first among many devices with planned support for Janus. Portable Media Center, Microsoft's would-be "iPod killer", extends the Windows Media Center family beyond the desktop by offering up synchronization with desktop audio and video content as well as having integrated support for Media Center's photographic slideshows.

While the ability to playback rich media distinguishes the PMC paradigm from the iPod, Microsoft is focusing on another flashpoint: freedom of choice. PMC devices can purchase content from over 60 vendors who are independent of the software giant. Apple limits its customers to iTunes.

The software giant may be intending to capitalize on criticism that Apple recently faced from some of its customers for pulling the plug on RealNetworks controversial "Harmony" software. Harmony opened up the iPod to be controlled by RealPlayer, but did so against Apple's wishes.

In the aftermath that followed incident, numerous iPod owners signed online petitions protesting their lack of options and demanded Apple permit Real to continue to support the iPod as a portable device in RealPlayer.

Portable Media Center handhelds are now available from Creative and Samsung. Microsoft's Windows Media Player 10 may be downloaded from FileForum.

View comments by with a score of at least

Report: Microsoft to randomize Europe's browser screen choices

The fact that "A" is for "Apple" was apparently at the heart of browser vendor objections to Microsoft's alternative to listing IE first.

Acer eclipses Dell for #2 spot in global PC shipments, says iSuppli data

It literally does look like a 360-degree turnaround in Dell's fortunes, as the bells of bad tidings now toll solely for Dell.

Microsoft, don't hang up on Windows Mobile, but do call for help

Only a Manhattan Project can save Microsoft's phone strategy now.

See ya later, WinMo: Microsoft's mobile strategy needs a reboot

Carmi Levy | Wide Angle Zoom: Hands up if you're considering upgrading to a Windows phone for the holidays...Anybody?

Playing catch-up in 2010: Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and Symbian

Microsoft, RIM, and Nokia are each working on improved mobile operating systems. But could these efforts add up to too little, too late?

Will Nokia's plans further alienate American consumers?

A look at Nokia's plans for the coming years does little to shine up the company's increasingly dull image.

Bing bonked by service outage Thursday, Microsoft configured the wrong server

It's always nice to have a backup, but it's even nicer to remember which one is the backup. That's the lesson Bing's admins learned yesterday evening.

Survey reveals there are more women then men, including on social networks

If you think you can market your products and services online as though you're selling car batteries in the middle of halftime, think again. And again.

Android team updates 'Donut' and 'Eclair' SDKs

The Android SDK includes components which optimize app development for each version of the mobile operating system. Today, the 1.6 and 2.0 components got updates.

The Black Screen Syndrome, or, Tech news in search of the apocalypse

Scott Fulton On Point: This is a story about something that should not have been a story, about something that at one time was a story.

Online advertising evolves away from display, toward interactive software

Marketing departments and agencies are increasingly establishing positions for "creative technologists" who can steer designers and developers toward platforms that enable direct connections with consumers.