''MSN Music'' was a part of

MSN MSN is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps provided by Microsoft. The main webpage provides news, weather, sports, finance and other content curated from hundreds of different sources that Microsoft has partnere ...

's web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. The website also served as a digital music store from 2004 to 2008.

History

In 2004,

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

created an MSN Music download store to compete with

Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

's iTunes Music Store, though its sales in comparison were negligible. The store utilized Microsoft's

Windows Media Player Windows Media Player (WMP, officially referred to as Windows Media Player Legacy to retronym, distinguish it from Windows Media Player (2022), the new Windows Media Player introduced with Windows 11) is the first media player (application soft ...

application and proprietary Windows Media Format files (protected .wma files). It started out with 1.5 million songs, but decreased to 1.1 million songs due to lagging sales and lack of real support from Microsoft. The MSN Music store was not compatible with Microsoft's own

Zune Zune was a brand of digital media products and services that was marketed by Microsoft from November 2006 until it was discontinued in June 2012. Zune consisted of a line of portable media players, a music subscription service known as Zune Music ...

music player. As of 14 November 2006, MSN Music ceased music sales and now redirects viewers to either Zune or Real Rhapsody websites. Microsoft acquired MongoMusic on September 13, 2000, and merged its technology. In 2006, when announcing the closing of MSN Music in the United States, Microsoft promised users that license servers would be maintained for five years but in April 2008, Microsoft announced that the

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servers for MSN Music would be deactivated on 2008-08-31. After this date, it was no longer possible to reauthorize purchased songs when changing computers or operating systems. They have suggested that customers back-up their music by burning it to CD. They later relented, and committed to keeping the DRM servers online through the end of 2011. MSN's music section nonetheless remained online after 2008, hosting content such as music blogs and photo galleries; it continued to be referred to as ''MSN Music'' until folded into MSN's Entertainment section.

Other countries

Although MSN Music Downloads have ceased in the US, MSN Music Downloads (DRM Protected) are still available in the UK via the MSN UK Portal and/or through Windows Media Player although the service is powered by Nokia (formerly OD2).

References

External links

MSN Official website
{{Music digital distribution platforms MSN Online music stores of the United States