“Microsoft will launch its long-awaited internet music store on Thursday, seen as crucial to the software giant’s efforts to establish itself as a force in the nascent digital media market,” Scott Morrison and Richard Waters report for The Financial Times. “Microsoft’s store is modelled on Apple Computer’s popular iTunes music store, which has captured about 70 per cent of the legal music download market since its launch in April 2003.”
“Recent entrants into the online music market, such as Wal-Mart, the US retailer, and Sony, the Japanese electronics group, have failed to dent Apple’s music store business,’ Morrison and Waters report. “That could change once Microsoft makes its push. But while analysts agreed the software group’s music store was well designed and easy to use, they said Microsoft faced a key challenge: it had to ensure the store worked well with scores of third-party portable music players that will be on the market by the end of the year.”
“‘The hardware and the online media service has to work as well as the iPod does with iTunes,’ said Mike McGuire, analyst at Gartner.” Morrison and Richard Waters report, “Microsoft said it had worked with dozens of manufacturers to make sure their devices would synchronise with consumers’ personal computers. But sceptics doubt companies such as Rio and Creative Labs can compete with the iPod. ‘When the average consumer goes in to the store, he is not going to ask for the Rio Carbon,’ said Mr Leigh. ‘He’s going to want an iPod.'”
Full article here.
All of these people can say what they will, but only time will tell, my friends….time will tell…
Perhaps, in time MS will have a 30% market share. Tops.
M$ will be a solid #2 in the market, just as they are in video game consoles. No shame in that, but they’ll just not be #1. The iPod like the PS2 has too much more going for it.
http://beta.music.msn.com/
People who have used iTunes music store will be underwhelmed by this thing.
The game consoles are a proprietary market. As such, MS is going head to head with other people. In this case, MS is enabling many other people to go head to head with Apple.
The key is interopability. If they get the compatibility angle right, it could result in a slew of lower cost, easy to use players that all integrate seamlessly with the MS music store. So on one hand you’ll have a bazaar of many commoditized options, vs. the cathedral of ipod/itunes. Play this out over 3-5 years and it could be a repeat of the PC market.
I think when the dust settles, Apple’s reluctance to license Fairplay will be seen as a critical mistake.
As Mike mentioned, the KEY to MS Store is being able to buy from multiple stores, accessing multiple music databases from one user interface.
That’s where the beauty of it is.
They control the interface and experience just by being a window to other services.
I doubt its as easy to use as iTunes Music store… but still…
As Mike mentioned, the KEY to MS Store is being able to buy from multiple stores, accessing multiple music databases from one user interface.
That’s where the beauty of it is.
They control the interface and experience just by being a window to other services.
I doubt its as easy to use as iTunes Music store… but still…
I got a slogan for Microsoft “Lets Ruin Music Now…”
In the game market MS had a hardware thing to flog (a style-less ugly box which blatantly copied the other usurper – Sony). This market is different as iPod has set the bar in terms of fashion and style. Would anyone care to rate Microsoft’s ability to create stylish and fashionable electronica?
Apple has ever been associated with high style. Microsoft, never. They don’t have the mindspace. If they can create something more stylish than Apple I will dowse myself in petrol and light it.
This is a hardware battle.
The question then is whether this “working with dozens of manufacturers” will work OK. Choose wisely.
http://beta.music.msn.com/
A whack attempt at minimalism.
Great quote:
“They [Apple] have a store that belongs to Apple, an application that belongs to Apple and a set of portable devices that have no Microsoft technology in them,” Bernoff said, “And taken together it’s a great experience for consumers.”
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/yhoo/story.asp?source=blq/yhoo&siteid=yhoo&dist=yhoo&guid;={F1391C0C-1462-4C3A-A4F4-50EECDC8B511}
500,000 Songs at launch, 1,000,000 licensed
The problem is, the MSN store beta (from what I saw) is just a website like BuyMusic, Wal-Mart, etc. This doesn’t work well as they all have proven. iTunes/store is actually an integrated “application”. Put it all together with the iPod and all the accessories available, it’s a music “platform”. Microsoft and the others haven’t spent the time, money, or effort to develop anything close to what Apple has.
Will Microsoft still be a player? Ya, just because of who they are and how much money they have and how stupid a lot of people are. Will it kill iTunes or even come close? Not from what I’ve seen.
“I think when the dust settles, Apple’s reluctance to license Fairplay will be seen as a critical mistake.”
Mike,
I disagree; I think you’re wrong in assuming that Apple is reluctant (the deal with Motorola is a significant one). The legal download market for digital content, not just music, is in its infancy, and I think it would be a critical mistake to license Fairplay willy-nilly. I’ve argued on this forum that Apple is well aware that potential revenues from licensing fees could dwarf that from the iTMS/iPod combo. After all there are no manufacturing costs involved. As I said a few days ago, iTMS exists to drive demand for iPods, and the iPod exists to drive acceptance of Fairplay. Apple needs to proceed in a deliberate fashion, or they could risk damaging their most important jewel, their brand.
Ya, we’ll have to see just how integrated their thing is. Sure doesn’t look like there is any in that beta. Sure don’t see any special features.
Lot of hype as usual though.
http://beta.music.msn.com/
This doesn’t work with a Mac either. Granted, the Mac market is much, much smaller than the Winblows – but Apple sold millions to only Mac users when they first launched. What that tells me – Mac users spend more on music, care about quality, etc. Think about, a large proportion of creative work (and music) is created using Macs. Creative folk, and the fashionistas drive trends – and right now they’re all behind the iPod and iTunes.
Not to mention, I can’t wait for the first virus to wipe out everyone’s purchased library of music.
the WMP setup means that this website might be displayed, ala iTunes in WMP..
how original..
yet this is nowhere near as slick as the iTMS page..
and we’ve already seen some other stores via. plugin.. butt ugly.. they had about 5/6 frames running within the WMP window..
and there were about 5/6 SCROLLBARS.. very 1997 Internet, if you ask me..
BUTT UGLY
This is more Amazon than iTMS. Can’t see it working. The nice thing about iTMS is the sense that you have entered a dedicated music area – a different environment from all other internet space. This just looks like yet another web page – with ads jostling for your attention too, it’s all a bit of a mess – a mess with white space, but a mess nevertheless.
Well, based on what we can see from the beta site, Microsoft’s got a lot of work to do. Hmmm. Innovation must mean “minimalist” these days. iPod is minimal and works. New iMac is minimal and works (I hope). New ACDisplays are minimal and cool. OSX is simple AND complicated at the same time in a minimalist sorta way.
Then, you get guys like this who think that Apple should roll over and play dead because “here comes Microsoft.”
http://www.mac360.com/index.php/mac360/more/point_counterpoint_apple_should_open_the_ipod_itunes_music/
I’m doing my part. Four Macs and 1 Sony Vaio.
I agree that MS Music Store lacks the attraction of iTMS; however, some folks will actually use MS Music Store especially if MS can price their products aggressively. So what? Is this the death knell of iTMS? Nope. There will always be a percentage of individuals who place a premium on price (MS) versus value (Apple).
MS markets to some groups. Apple markets to other groups. Each will be successful in its own right according to each company�s definition of success. Personally, I will stick with Apple because Apple is devoted to designing products for consumers that are elegant, beautiful, useful, and functional. MS, on the other hand, is devoted to MS.
The thing about iTunes/iPod is that the whole experience is positivley cool. You can spend hours in the store just looking around. It is an immersive experience. For example when you watch a music video in iTunes you get a good experience. You feel like you are still in the store in a truly tactile way. Try watching a video in the MS store. You are launched into a different site that completely breaks that experience, not to mention the Windows Media Video has really sucky quality compared to the QuickTime. Whenever I see “buffering” I want to hurl. With QT you get a beautiful video that plays right away, plus you can srub the video to any point you want. This is something that drives me nuts about WMV, drag the srcoller and you see…nothing!
I don’t think a huge amount of people will pay for wma when they can get free mp3 because the whole experience is boring and un-hip, plus deep inside you just know you are getting screwed by Gates. With iTunes and iPod it just makes you want to push that “Buy” button. It’s a rush.
LOL LOL
Hell YEAH this is like comparing win 95 to OS X
LOL LOL
m$ does not have a clue what they should do
MOooO!
Longhorn BBQ at my place!
I give you an advice:
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
Sell all the m$ stock that you have as soon as possible
You know it appears M$ left off another HUGE element of iTMS: ability to preview songs. I can’t seem to find how to preview them, and if they left that part off, they’ll never compete with Apple’s offering!
Now US has bu$h and m$ music store
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> what else do they want?
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
one guy from finland–
since all their profitability comes from
windows
office
don’t expect this to hurt their stock price.. it’s a small dark corner of the microsoft universe