LOS ANGELES -- Microsoft wants to rock you.
The software giant announced an aggressive slate of partnerships with top music technology and content companies designed to push digital music into the mainstream and make the Windows Media player as pervasive as MP3.
"People have underestimated our presence," said Anthony Bay, Microsoft's vice president for streaming media, after delivering the keynote address at Webnoize99.
"We are very committed to being a leader."
The 1,200 record company and digital music executives attending the conference received a free special addition of Windows 98 with a play pack CD that included music tracks in Windows Media format. The edition hit retail stores 1 November.
Bay brushes off the suggestion that Microsoft wants to displace MP3, the current de facto audio standard. He also dismisses the observation that offering a CD is akin to Microsoft's including Internet Explorer in its operating system -- one of the factors that led to the US government's case against the company.
There's room in the market -- and on computers and other devices -- for both standards, he said. As for including the Windows Media Player CD, "any OEM [original equipment manufacturer] can put whatever they want on the machine," including Real Networks' audio player and MP3.
David Fodel, who runs Internet radio station RadioValve agreed that core MP3 probably won't be swayed by the latest rush of announcements.
"Until there's something that's even simpler, better sounding, and more easily available, MP3 definitely has a place," he said.
Here's a nutshell summary of announcements at the first day of the three-day Webnoize conference:
- Microsoft executives demonstrated a version of Diamond Multimedia's Rio device playing a song using the Windows Media Player. The unnamed device, due out in January, will be SDMI-compatible. The device, which can also play songs in MP3 format, hooks to PCs through a USB port.
- Sony agreed to make devices that download digital music compatible with the Windows Media format. Microsoft executives demonstrated a crystal-clear song playing on Sony's upcoming Vaio Music Clip (MC-P10), a cigar-shaped digital music player Sony will introduce early next year. The two companies also agreed to make Windows Media and Sony's OpenMG copyright protection technology compatible.
- Microsoft and three major record labels agreed to partner on Windows Media-related projects. TVT Records, the largest independent record label, announced that it put its entire catalog of songs online. Customers will be able to download individual songs for 99 cents, or entire albums for US$9.99 from a collection of 100 albums that includes artists such as Nine Inch Nails and XTC.
- The label decided to put its catalog online because "users are more and more viewing their computers as entertainment centers, and we wanted to address them," said Steve Gottlieb, TVT's president. He predicted that it will be at least three to five years, though, before even 5 percent of his company's revenue comes from digital downloads.
- BMG announced an "artist showcase program" to be promoted each month on WindowsMedia.com using streaming music, streaming audio, and music videos. The showcase will kick off with material from the Artist (formerly known as Prince) and, starting on 22 November, Foo Fighters.
- EMI agreed to stream as many as 5,000 promotional music videos online for free in Windows Media format.
