“Customers who have purchased music from Microsoft’s now-defunct MSN Music store are now facing a decision they never anticipated making: commit to which computers (and OS) they want to authorize forever, or give up access to the music they paid for. Why? Because Microsoft has decided that it’s done supporting the service and will be turning off the MSN Music license servers by the end of this summer,” Jacqui Cheng reports for Ars Technica.
Cheng reports, “MSN Entertainment and Video Services general manager Rob Bennett sent out an e-mail this afternoon to customers, advising them to make any and all authorizations or deauthorizations before August 31. ‘As of August 31, 2008, we will no longer be able to support the retrieval of license keys for the songs you purchased from MSN Music or the authorization of additional computers,’ reads the e-mail seen by Ars. ‘You will need to obtain a license key for each of your songs downloaded from MSN Music on any new computer, and you must do so before August 31, 2008. If you attempt to transfer your songs to additional computers after August 31, 2008, those songs will not successfully play.'”
Cheng reports, “This doesn’t just apply to the five different computers that PlaysForSure allows users to authorize, it also applies to operating systems on the same machine (users need to reauthorize a machine after they upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista, for example). Once September rolls around, users are committed to whatever five machines they may have authorized—along with whatever OS they are running. “
Full article here.
Microsoft treating their suckers customers like garbage is par for the course.
This’ll inspire even more consumer confidence in Microsoft’s Zune fiasco. Use those “points” while you’ve got ’em, ya hear?
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Follower” for the heads up.]
Too much fun !
OK Zune Tang. I know you are a closet Mac user who has a lot of fun with MDN’s stories but even you will have a hard time putting out a positive spin with this one.
Care to try?
Well surprise, surprise! What a shocker!
I like John Gruber’s take on this http://daringfireball.net/linked/2008/april#tue-22-drm
quote:
“This is bad news for all seven of the people who bought songs from MSN Music.”
PLAYS FOR SURE!
OK, now tell me again why subscription services are better than owning a song?
And before you get off on the rant of “Well iTMS songs still have to be authorized” the difference is that if Apple ever decided to shut down they can flip a bit and unlock the songs permanently. PlaysForSure never had support for that.
Microsoft never cease to amaze me.
Wow. I mean, WOW!
MDN Magic Word: mean
THIS, my friends (and various lurking Windows trolls), is why the market doesn’t like subscription-based music services.
Surprise ???
No.
Hmmmmm,
The article also says, “Of course, MSN Music customers do have one other option: burning all of their music to audio CD and then re-ripping them back to the computer as MP3s, sans DRM. But that’s a lossy, lousy solution.”
I wonder, does MS playsforcrap really allow you to burn CDs??? I thought it was not allowed. Info is appreciated.
en
@Buster,
I’m doubting Zune Tang will reply at all on this thread. He only seems to respond to stuff he can use to Big-Up Microsoft!
I used to believe he was a Mac fan that was having a laugh but nowadays I am not so sure he isn’t a genuine ‘doze fanboi…
Time will tell (or maybe not)
@Buster
I think you fail to see the sarcasm in Zune Tang
I will be waiting for his entertaining input on this though.
Zuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnneeeeee TTTTTTaaaannnggggggg!!!!
You’re making me cry…. with joy….
“Zuney, you gots some splaining to do….”
Bring it!!!!
MW: trouble
Microsoft is turning into the biggest joke of the tech industry.
I’m glad I moved to iTunes before I decided to download music online.
Classic!
But the iPod is just a fad right?
And the Mac OS will never have more than 2% market share too right?
Oh, and there’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance…right???
OK everyone. In your best Nelson voice:
Haaaawhaaaaah!!!
The great irony is their choice of naming convention: Plays For Sure! How can you trust a company that does that and pulls the rug just a couple of years out?
Microsoft: this is VERY bad form.
Oh the irony in their service being called “PlaysForSure”! I love it!
Does anyone know if you can burn these songs to a disc so they won’t “disappear” if you get a new PeeCee?
Just curious.
And, yes, a serious post for once.
They owe it to their customers to release software that strips the DRM off the music now. Doubt they will do it, but its the only ethical thing to do.
Jeez, I hope Steam never goes away….
With its customers, Microsoft plays for sure.
SUCKERS! SUCKERS! SUCKERS! AHAHAHAHAHA. I wonder how the three stooges of the Windows World will spin this one. Suckers.. LOL
Buster, you should not tease your lover, Zune Tang like that.
He might cut you off! But making up and making out is fun to do!