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Business News Digital
Microsoft launch world’s worst download store
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 22 January 2009
Microsoft have launched a new mobile download service in the UK called MSN Mobile Music, run by those folks at Vidzone Digital Media.
The service will work on 130 handsets at launch, with access to around one million tracks, 25,000 ringtones and 10,000 music videos from Sony Music, EMI and Warner Music (although not Universal, as far as we can tell). Signed up users will be charged via their existing mobile phone contract, thanks to the UK PayForIt billing system.
Lacking Universal catalogue is already a downside to the new system, but other factors are bigger flaws. Like many previous mobile music offers, the tracks are more expensive than those sold by internet-based stores.
Labels and mobile firms have often argued consumers will pay more for mobile music because of the convenience, though that’s not an argument that has really stacked up. Tracks from the new MSN store also come with some pretty horrible digital rights management.
Full tracks will cost £1.50 (ie double online store rates), ringtones £3 and videos £2. And the DRM will reportedly mean tracks only work on the handset it is downloaded to. So, if you upgrade your phone, or it gets stolen, or you drop it down the toilet, you can say goodbye to all that overpriced music you bought.
While mobile music offers have never been especially user-friendly, the MSN service launches as DRM disappears completely from online downloading, and Apple lead the way in making mobile downloading more like internet downloading, especially in terms of price.
But whatever. Let’s have some quotes from the guys behind the new offer shall we?
Hugh Griffiths, director MSN Mobile UK, said: “With over 130 handsets having access to the music store from day one, this is an exciting proposition that for the first time provides consumers a network agnostic service with a vast array of new and old music from major music labels. In the 12 months since launch, MSN Mobile has already become the UK’s largest commercial non-operator mobile portal. This is another step in its development”.
Michael Russo, CTO of VidZone Digital Media added: “This partnership builds upon the existing relationship we have with Microsoft’s Xbox Live service and the MSN Video portal. This deal not only highlights the importance MSN is putting on music content, but is also an example of music monetisation that has chart effect”.
