Walt Mossberg takes on the MSN Music store

Oh, unkie Walt is back in effect, today spewing ever-righteous prose on the beta of the new MSN Music store which technically isn't officially available until October 12th. We're with him that it seems like too little, too late—charging the same 99 cents for each individual track (or more, as some songs will cost up to $4.00 depending on length and whether they're pre-release) doesn't exactly positively differentiate it much from Apple's iTunes Music Store, especially given that MSN Music's catalog is only half as large (they only have 500,000 tracks compared to Apple's cool mil). Then again, Microsoft isn't courting iPod owners, they're going after pretty much everyone else and Mossberg confirms the service is compatible with dozens of non-iPod digital audio players. The other primary advantage/difference is that while it's possible (and easier) to purchase songs through Microsoft's new Windows Media Player 10, they also offer the option of purchasing music using directly from the MSN Music website.

[Alex @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

... there was a way to find your long lost highschool classmates directly from the MSN music store.

[Joe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I was on the site for a few minutes, logged in using Passport, and then, after previewing 1 song, IE crashed. No reason at all why that would happen, right?

[Cheap Mobile Phone Deals @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Hundreds of thousands have MSN as their homepage ... and they're the sort of web users who won't even have HEARD of iTunes.

It will work, mark my words ...

[Julian Bond @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I shall be ignoring this one just as I ignore iTunes.

Quite apart from it being USA only for the moment, 99c for a DRMed WMA 128Kb song doesn't compare very well with AllOfMp3.com and 1c per Mb of LAME-presetStandard MP3 (192Kb VBR) with no DRM. Or any number of rather less legal sources of obscure music, again in high quality encoding and free (apart from RIAA lawsuit taxes of course).

Even with iTunes 1M songs, it's surprising just how many tracks and artists are missing. Especially in Europe where independent labels have a bigger market share.

I guess these services fill a need if your tastes are mainstream. But for the rest of us music obsessives, the DRM and poor quality at a high price just don't cut it.

[bbum @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

allofmp3.com is illegal anywhere but Russia. Not one penny of the revenue pumped through allofmp3.com makes it to the artist. Just because they say they are legal does not make it true.

Buying from allofmp3.com is theft, plain and simple.

[Michael S. @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I haven't been able to find an example showing this, but I think Apple just refuses to sell individual copies of longer songs--you can only get them when you buy the album. (i.e. the songs that Microsoft are charging more than 99c for you can't buy from Apple.)

[Jdog @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I'm sorry, but until the recording industry stops trying to milk us for all we're worth.....the same goes for i-tunes, then I will continue to buy my music from Allofmp3.com, and I will refer all my friends there as well. I don't see the point in spending as much money on i-tunes as I would at a store for an album. When are people going to get it that we are tired of the industry not just making a profit, but making a killing at OUR expense?

[bbum @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Then don't buy music.

Buying through allofmp3.com is theft. Plain and simple. What you are saying is the equivalent to: "I think grocery stores charge too much money for beer, therefore, I'm going to steal the beer.". Or, more like "I think movie theaters charge too much, therefore, I'm going to sneak in and watch without paying.".