MSN Music 2004

I was the PM for the MSN Music download service which launched on Wednesday September 1st, 2004. A press event followed on October 12th at a press event in Los Angeles. The event included the launch of a new version of Windows Media Center Edition, a ton of new devices, the premier of XBOX Media Extender and lots of other stuff, including a keynote by Bill Gates and an appearance by Queen Latifah.

Highlights

Washington Post - MSN Music Falls Just Short of iTunes' High Marks

"Shopping the store is a pleasure, whether in Microsoft's Windows XP-only Windows Media Player 10 or through a Web interface."

Red Herring - Microsoft's Cover of the iPod Hit

"Apple has to know that when Microsoft gets serious about having people adopt the Microsoft standard, their lead is in jeopardy," said John Palfrey, Executive Director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Technology at Harvard Law School.

PC World - Microsoft Lets the Digital Media Plays

"Because the service is Web-based, there is no need to download anything in order to access content or buy tracks. Alternatively, you can use Windows Media Player [10] in order to access the service."

ARS Technica - Microsoft opens its MSN Music Web store

"Microsoft has upped the ante by not only increasing the bitrate of their offering to 160kbps on average (as opposed to 128kbps for iTMS) but they're also using Variable Bitrate, which allows the music encoder to adjust its compressions in order to produce relatively higher fidelity."

ClickZ News - MSN Pits Music Store Against Appleā€™s iTunes

"We're not going to build a service here at MSN unless we've thought about what we have that we can build off" said Christine Andrews, Product Manager for MSN.

Business Week - Gates: "We're Early on the Video Thing"

Q:  "Steve Jobs has said consumers aren't going to watch video on tiny screens. Is he wrong?"

A: 

"Yes. Ask kids in the back of a car on a two-hour trip, 'Hey would you like to have your videos there?' My kids would. I guess Steve's kids just listen to Bach and Mozart. But mine, they want to watch Finding Nemo. I don't know who made that, but it's really a neat movie." - Bill Gates
The Rest

MacRumors.com - MSN Music Beta Launched

ComputerWorld - Microsoft set to launch MSN Music store

Reuters - Microsoft Launches Online Music Store

Seattle Post Intelligencer - Microsoft Takes On Apple with MSN Music

MSNBC.com - A video 'iPod' from Microsoft

AP - Microsoft set to launch iTunes Music Store competitor

Business Week - Microsoft the Entertainer?

CNET - Blog: IE's band reunited for music

SJMN - Microsoft Launches Online Music Service Thursday

AdWeek - MSN Launches Music Download Service

Associated Press - Microsoft tackles Apple's iTunes music store

CBS.MarketWatch.com - Microsoft unveils digital music service

CNET News.com - Microsoft opens MSN Music store

PC Magazine - Microsoft Launches MSN Music

Financial Times - Microsoft launches online music store

Forbes - Microsoft Invades Apple's Turf

Jupiter - MSN Music Store First Take

Jupiter - MSN Music Another Take

Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Microsoft's new music service sounds familiar

Seattle Times - Microsoft has new push for multimedia

Seattle Times - Exec details the strategy of response to Apple, iTunes

The Inquirer - Microsoft confirms MSN music intro

San Jose Mercury News - On Its Playlist: A New Online Music Store and Digital Media Players

MediaPost - Microsoft Corp. Debuts Music Service

San Francisco Chronicle - Microsoft Selling Music

Boston Globe - Microsoft Cranks Up the Competition with Apple

LA Times - Microsoft Ambitions Are Now Set to Music

Seattle Times technology reporter - Microsoft Has New Push for Multimedia

Forbes - MSN Music Svc Won't Impact ITunes In Near Term

Macworld Daily News - Microsoft makes its music move

E-Commerce Times - Microsoft Steals a Riff from Apple's iTunes

Hollywood Reporter - Microsoft Joins Crowded Field of Online Music

NY Times - Microsoft Challenges Rivals With New Online Music Service

USA TODAY - Now playing: M stands for Microsoft music - Downloadable tunes just part of strategy

Wall Street Journal - Microsoft Challenges Apple's iTunes Store, But It Isn't There Yet

San Jose Mercury News - Microsoft Launches Online Music Service Thursday

AdWeek - MSN Launches Music Download Service

AP - Microsoft launches test version of online music store

CBS MarketWatch - Microsoft Unveils Digital Music Service

Bloomberg - Microsoft Readies Music Store to Compete With Apple

CNET - Microsoft opens MSN Music store

PC Magazine - Microsoft Launches MSN Music

Financial Times - Microsoft launches online music store

Forbes - Microsoft Invades Apple's Turf

Variety - Tech Giant Lurking

Salon - One Music Store To Rule Them All

Wired - Microsoft Flexes Music Muscle

Washington Post - Microsoft Steps Into The Ring

San Francisco Chronicle - Microsoft Creates Static Over New Radio Feature

PC Magazine - MSN Music

Fortune - Now Playing on a PC Near You