Andre from Windows Connected has spilled the beans on Microsoft's "Urge" (our NDA wouldn't let us talk about it).
Urge is a new music service that will come with Windows Media Player 11. It is a team up of Microsoft, MTV, VH11 and CMT. According to Andre, the goal is to provide a better experience for users to download music with more detail about the content, albums, and artist information.
Another interpretation is that it's a "better iTunes than iTunes" though the model seems to be more akin to a combination strategy where users have the choice of subscribing or buying content per piece. Other information we cannot say due to our NDA (we can only repeat what's been made public so far).
It appears iTunes is going to have some serious competition. Windows Media Player 11 not only has key features such as this, it also has a streamlined user interface that makes using it far more appealing than previous versions. The WMP team has really outdone themselves this time.
We'll have more details on Urge as they're made public.
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