Microsoft and MTV team up - RealNetworks shares fall

Redmond software giant Microsoft is teaming up with Viacom Inc.'s MTVM to launch a music download service. The new service, URGE, will roll out next year and will incorporate Microsoft's Windows Media Player. It will offer a catalog of 2 million tracks to download individually for a set price per track, or on a subscription basis like Napster's subscription service, or Real Networks' Rhapsody.

After the news about the new Microsoft / MTV venture surfaced, RealNetworks' shares fell 4%. Obviously Real will now be competing with URGE for the same customers. Real's Rhapsody service is currently being advertised through Microsoft's MSN sites (as part of the pairs anti-trust settlement). When the details about the anti-trust settlement emerged, and details about Real's new web-based Rhapsody emerged, the media painted it as a sort of strong co-operation between Microsoft and Real.

Obviously Microsoft has other plans. "We believe Microsoft continues to be very interested in providing a service ultimately competitive with Rhapsody and is likely to learn 'best practices' from Rhapsody off of its partnership on MSN," Oppenheimer analyst Sasa Zorovic wrote in a research note.

Source:
BusinessWeek

Written by: James Delahunty @ 15 Dec 2005 8:35

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10 comments

Lethal_B

As soon as I hear~
Quote:music download servicemethinks.....

-128kbps
-DRM'd
-.wma

I hope microsoft take into account the reason a lot of people never legally download - and use them to their advantage (i.e do not incorporate the abovementioned in their music service)

We want a good priced subscription service which offers a massive range of songs and when they are released

Damn, I look on iTunes occasionally (Browse, not buy ;) - and sometimes albums aren't put up ther until like six weeks after release~ and I thought the downloading trend was all about 'convenience...'

Gates, do yourself a favour bud. Give us constantly updated VBR music files and give them to us at a reasonable price. Oh, and leave out the DRM!

Trust me, people will pay for it

15.12.2005 09:32 #1

punx777

finally, something that will rival apple, if only creative could join this clan with microsoft and mtv they could put one big dent in apples bank account.

by the way, im planning on gettin yahoo unlimited, is there any program that will rid it of the drm? (i know there are programs like tunebite that will record a fresh version out of the original but i would prefer a drm crack)

thanks alot!

15.12.2005 13:47 #2

McKeva

There is now way Microsoft will start a download service without DRM. However I also doubt that they will offer music in just wma files as all the fools who own ipods wont use their service as mp3 files wont be available.

15.12.2005 14:01 #3

Rikoshay

Quote:URGE, will roll out next year and will incorporate Microsoft's Windows Media Player.First off, doesn't that just tell you at a gut level that Microsoft will only allow WMP to play the files? If that's the case, they should just stop right now, and come up with a different CoA, because, even if I were to use this in any way, I sure woldn't want to have DRM AND be only playable in WMP! It's like a double-slap, and you know that they are gonna try to release most of the files in .wma and eventually try to make their own MP3 player that only allows DRM files. Tricky bastards!

15.12.2005 15:04 #4

punx777

i hope to hell they do make an mp3 player. Why? because it would kick the ass of apple. and im positive hundreds of media players will be able to play this music, of course they wouldnt dare make it an wmp only deal,

the drm wont be any different then it is now with yahoo and napster and wal-mart.com, protected wmas that can be played on several media players, but to be honost, i doubt microsoft will make an mp3 player, i belive they would just be accused of copying apple (as if apple hasn't copied them a thousand times, i.e. the trash can(recycle bin))

im sure they will just continue to partner up with iriver, creative, ect

15.12.2005 18:58 #5

dubire

its my choice to use a free download or a free site lets just weigh up the choices

pay service
enjoying drm
the song they want you to hear
songs might delet themselfs
they tell you were you can play the music
latest band get 3 new houses

free services
the songs you want
no Drm
play where you want
keep the tracks for aslong as you want
latest band gettes nothing
could be captured by the RIAA brought to a tourte camp and beaten until you tell them were i got the music
in the eyes of the RIAA you are a teriost

15.12.2005 23:08 #6

Lethal_B

Quote:i hope to hell they do make an mp3 player. Why? because it would kick the ass of apple.Nah, don't think so somehow...

People will go for Creative before they touch Microsoft..

Forum Rules ~ http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2487

15.12.2005 23:56 #7

YOBUZZB

I don't know, there are a lot of Microsoft fans out there! Personally, I'll just wait and see. Too much speculation is like a bunch of gossiping teenaged girls...none of them knows what they're talking about and it probably isn't true anyway!

16.12.2005 12:50 #8

thejynxed

punx777 said:
[q]honost, i doubt microsoft will make an mp3 player, i belive they would just be accused of copying apple (as if apple hasn't copied them a thousand times, i.e. the trash can(recycle bin))[/q]

You dork, Apple had the recycle/trash bin in MacOS way back in the 80's before Microsoft had even "innovated" Windows. [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface]Brief GUI History[/url] <-

I am not standing up for Apple, because they stole most of their GUI elements from Xerox and NeXTSTEP, but to say that Apple stole the trashbin from Microsoft (who in fact, wouldn't have a GUI at all if they hadn't licensed the GUI elements from Apple for Windows 1.0) is just an uninformed comment at best.

It's sad to have to create a login just to point this out.

Now as for a music service, this doesn't come as a shock to the system, since Microsoft, Apple and Sony are all in a three-way war to take control of the living room media center. Microsoft with Media Center Edition, the 360, etc. Apple with the iPod (and its million and one accessories, including the ability to stream to your stereo), the MacMini, iTunes. Sony with the PS3, it's movie and music copyright ownership, the PSP, etc.

Who will win the war? Hopefully the person/persons who actually gets Linux (or some other OS like BSD) to become feasible on the desktop for gaming, movies, etc. and shows up with the "must-have" hardware to go along with the software.

17.12.2005 00:05 #9

Lethal_B

Quote:You dork, Apple had the recycle/trash bin in MacOS way back in the 80's before Microsoft had even "innovated" Windows Quote:It's sad to have to create a login just to point this out.I am not having a go at you here ~ by all means correct somebody, but please do not bash at other members for their mistakes.

Thanks.

Forum Rules ~ http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2487

17.12.2005 05:02 #10

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