Digital music software firm MusicMatch on Monday hopped aboard the paid music download train, rolling out a music store for PC users with relaxed usage rules.
The San Diego-based MusicMatch, which already markets a popular music player, on Monday launched a pay-as-you-go store that piggybacks on the successful business model of Apple’s iTunes service. MusicMatch is hawking a library of more than 200,000 tracks for download at 99 cents each with liberal portability and burning rights. Full albums will be available for sale at $9.99.
The company said its subscription-free service — called MusicMatch
Downloads — is the first service on the PC that allows the purchase and download of digital music “with no complex, restrictive usage rules.”
MusicMatch will allow customers to play tracks on up to three PCs
simultaneously and transfer them to Windows Media 9 Series-supported music
players. Tracks can be burned to CDs, but the same playlist may only be
burned up to five times. Apple’s iTunes, which is mulling a PC version
before Christmas, offers the same usage rules except that the limit is set
at ten burns.
The MusicMatch move trumps plans by Roxio’s and, more
recently, Dell Computer to launch music download stores
for PC users. Online retail giant Amazon.com is also in
advanced stages of planning for its own offering.
Another competitor, BuyMusic, already has a PC-based store that offers 79-cent
downloads but strict usage rules related to portability and burning have
hurt the company’s efforts at competing in the crowded marketplace.
Big-name firms like RealNetworks and America Online
already have digital music services that offer downloads in
the range of 99 cents per song. RealNetworks’ Rhapsody service has a
subscription-free option and Roxio’s Napster will offer
unlimited a la carte downloads alongside a subscription option.
Still, MusicMatch believes it has a leg up on the competition because of
licensing deals with some 30 independent labels in addition to the majors.
At launch, MusicMatch will offer approximately 200,000 songs for download
from the five major labels and more than 30 independents. By year-end, the
company plans to have 500,000 tracks available.
Like BuyMusic, MusicMatch is relying entirely on technology from
Microsoft . Downloads will be provided as
160-kilobits-per-second Windows Media files and can be played on a range of
digital audio players. The service is also tied exclusively to Microsoft’s
Internet Explorer browser, a feature that is sure to rankle users who use
alternative browsers like Opera or Mozilla.
MusicMatch Downloads is available only in the U.S. and requires the
MusicMatch Jukebox 8.1 software.
The privately held firm has integrated the Web store with Musicmatch
Radio to allow listeners to purchase tracks directly from the music player.
It has also added a nifty personalization tool that lets users find artists,
albums and tracks that match their personal taste.
