Microsoft to Launch Online Music Service
From Reuters
Microsoft Corp. said it would jump into the online music sector next year as expected, joining an increasingly crowded market that already includes Apple Computer Inc.’s iTunes Music Store and Roxio Inc.’s reborn Napster online music service.
The move adds the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant to a field of online music providers that also includes Liquid Audio Inc., MusicMatch Inc., BuyMusic.com and Rhapsody from RealNetworks Inc.
Microsoft’s Windows Media Player, which allows users to play songs and videos on the Web, could easily be turned into a platform for selling music, analysts have said.
Microsoft shares fell 35 cents to $25.15 on Nasdaq.
