Digital music could be the tonic that brings e-commerce micropayment schemes back from the dead. A series of partnerships with music sites are the latest vital signs.
For years, online businesses have dreamed of the day when they could charge 5 cents for an old New Yorker column, or 50 cents for a Beatles tune. But smartcards and e-wallets that facilitate micropayments systems have failed to take off in the United States, mostly because there hasn't been much online content worth the price.
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