MusicMatch Inc. unveiled MusicMatch Jukebox 1.0 for the Macintosh at the MacWorld Expo in New York.
The free software Mac users the ability to create MP3s and experience digital music in a multimedia-rich listening environment.
The product incorporates Fraunhofer’s MP3 encoding technology for recording MP3s from personal CD collections, which can be cataloged in MusicMatch’s Music Library.
Music fans can discover and acquire new music using the MusicMatch Guide, which provides custom music recommendations as well as access to free downloadable MP3s from major-label and indie artists. Users can also listen to audio CDs with MusicMatch Jukebox for the Mac, which offers easy drag and drop CD playback capabilities.
The product is designed to deliver interactive online information while users are listening to a track such as album art, artist bios and album notes. Users who want to customize their digital music collection can also tag their MP3s with similar multimedia information for viewing offline. Users can also create and save custom play lists and download tracks to USB-enabled portable MP3 players.
“Apple’s products make it incredibly easy to get on the Internet, opening a whole new world for leading software developers to create engaging digital music software for the Mac platform,” said Clent Richardson, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations. “MusicMatch has a distinguished history as a pioneer in the digital music arena, and the award-winning MusicMatch Jukebox for the Mac is an excellent addition to the growing number of consumer products and services available to Mac users.”