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iTunes-Rival MusicMatch Launches Music Sharing Feature

by , 9:10 AM EDT, July 28th, 2004

http://musicmatch.com>MusicMatch launched Tuesday a revamped version of its music sharing service that enables subscribers to send e-mails embedded with Internet links for songs they want to share. MusicMatch's overhaul brings it in line with other services that offer streaming permanent song and album downloads and subscription access to streaming music.

MusicMatch subscribers can now share playlists with fellow subscribers and others who don't subscribe to the service. In addition, MusicMatch now allows songs to be played three times before the songs lock. Then only 30-second cuts can be heard.

The limited sharing feature may help MusicMatch vie for market share with rivals for the digital music dollar, particularly Napster 2.0, Rhapsody and Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store, which doesn't offer a sharing feature.

Phil Leigh, an analyst with Inside Digital Media, told the Associated Press, "you'll probably see other people follow MusicMatch's lead, particularly if it proves successful, and my guess is that it will be."

MusicMatch is currently only available to Windows users.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:Guest
Subject: Windows Compatability Only? / Booganosefunk

I don't understand why all of these service are windows centric? I've read many articles that say Mac users have higher incomes than windows users and that we spend a whole lot more on-line than our windows counterparts.

It could be that these businesses are thinking that apples "Market Share" will be hinderance to there success.

Who knows? Thank goodnes for G5's and itunes.

Booganosefunk

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Mac Morons

Quote
Guest wrote:
I don't understand why all of these service are windows centric? I've read many articles that say Mac users have higher incomes than windows users and that we spend a whole lot more on-line than our windows counterparts.

It could be that these businesses are thinking that apples "Market Share" will be hinderance to there success.

Who knows? Thank goodnes for G5's and itunes.

Booganosefunk


It's because we are superior to you macheads!
Dumb Ass!

Close Name:Spider Posts: 2997 Joined: 12 Aug 2001
Subject:

I see the brightest of the PC side has responded.

Close Name:bweels -   TMO Forum Mod Posts: 4865 Joined: 24 Jan 2002
Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
Quote
Guest wrote:
I don't understand why all of these service are windows centric? I've read many articles that say Mac users have higher incomes than windows users and that we spend a whole lot more on-line than our windows counterparts.

It could be that these businesses are thinking that apples "Market Share" will be hinderance to there success.

Who knows? Thank goodnes for G5's and itunes.

Booganosefunk


It's because we are superior to you macheads!
Dumb Ass!


Gosh, you're right. It's so evident in your eloquent response. How did we ever miss that?

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Re: Windows Compatability Only? / Booganosefunk

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
I've read many articles that say Mac users have higher incomes than windows users and that we spend a whole lot more on-line than our windows counterparts.


I wouldn't toot your horn too much on that (if that's not what you're doing, I apologize), because it should be clear that mac users have higher incomes because PCs are generally way cheaper than macs (although macs are generally of better quality, etc), and also more widely available and supported than macs. That being said, I think that's why software like this is more geared towards windows: I don't think our (mac/apple people) greater income/online time/internet savy outweighs our small market share and overall number of consumers. However, that's just in response to any old piece of software. There's a small chance, imo, that musicmatch is going to try and directly compete for current mac/iTunes users, our strong loyalty and great experience with the product makes that too hard, but certainly they are going after windows iTunes users who are maybe still undecided on such a product, or who are indifferent to brand, or just not as cool as we are

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Didn't iTunes had to disable this function?

Maybe, I am wrong, but didn't iTunes have a similar function up to version 3, but needed to disable the function after record companies complained about the abuse of it?

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
Maybe, I am wrong, but didn't iTunes have a similar function up to version 3, but needed to disable the function after record companies complained about the abuse of it?

Yes, kindof. It was in version 4.0, and it allowed you to see other people's entire libraries and stream them to your computer at will.

Anybody with a net connection could share with anybody with a net connection as much as they liked. This is what the record companies didn't like.

So, Apple released 4.01 which made it so that you had to be on the same subnet as the other computers you're sharing with in order to share.

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

So, if it was in version 4 and Apple had to shut it down to remain the deals with the record companies, why will MusicMatch be allowed to use this kind of feature without objections of the record companies and pulling their contracts?

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