Microsoft’s Urge Ready To Kick Off
In challenge to iTunes, Microsoft unveils music service and other entertainment plans.
From CNNMoney:
Using an appearance with Justin Timberlake, the Microsoft chairman debuted a new music service, Urge, to directly compete with the iTunes music store and interface. Urge launches with over 2 million tracks for purchase or as part of an all-you-can eat subscription, an option the iTunes music store doesn’t have. The offering will include exclusive material from MTV, though it will not be compatible with iPods, which are currently the most popular MP3 player.
Nathan touched the subject already when he covered Bill Gates’ Keynote at CES, but now the story reached the mainstream media, so I think it’s worth a separate post.
From Nathan’s coverage:
10:20: Van Toeffler from MTV is with Gates backstage to explain the new partnership. Says Bill Gates is the inspiration for the Napolean Dynamite movie. Talks about Urge, which will be programmed by viewers and viewer opinions and ratings. Aaron shows off Urge, which is a music service present within Windows Media Player. Will have hundreds of specially designed playlist and over 100 radio stations, as well as over a 2 million track library. It will be exclusively within Windows Media Player. Will include music blogs within the service, except that you can listen to any blogged songs right there in the blog. There will be channel hubs built around MTV properties like TRL, MTV Unplugged, VH1, CMT, and others. Auto-playlists will generate playlists based on anything you like, like a playlist based on a an artist with songs similar to that, like Justin Timberlake. And on that note, Justin Timberlake comes out.
