The software giant is slated to release limited player features for Windows XP by the end of June. Windows Vista will come bundled with the full version of Windows Media Player 11. The program is designed to make synching easier with portable MP3 players and perhaps most important to Microsoft, easy integration with its music subscription and download service co-developed with MTV, called URGE.
Microsoft has been tight-lipped about the media player update for XP, saying only that it won’t have the full feature functions that will be made available only for Vista. The company has not offered a beta test of this software. Microsoft does say however, that the XP update will integrate with URGE.
The Vista version, in public development for months, boasts a significantly improved feature set highlighted by “reverse sync.” This enables users to transfer content from their portable players onto their PCs.
According to a Windows Vista product guide made briefly available last week, other synch options include connecting a portable media player to multiple computers and the ability to fill the device with randomly generated song lists — think iPod Shuffle.
On the other hand, the updated media player won’t allow songs purchased through Microsoft’s download service to play in iTunes. Microsoft is hoping to give the iPod-iTunes combo a run for its money.
Prominent market analyst Nitin Gupta of the Yankee Group said that URGE is of premium importance to Microsoft, so it can gain market share from iTunes.
“Online music is a low-margin business,” Gupta told CNET News. “Apple can make it work for them because they have another source of revenue” (the iPod).
Through MTV’s vast media empire and far-reaching influence, Microsoft may have found the perfect partner to launch a subscription-based service Gupta claims.
“MTV has other ways to leverage their online service,” Gupta said. “They don't need it to be a profit center. Plus, MTV can flog the service on its huge collection of TV stations. If the URGE service does gain popularity and it does drive a lot of usage, that may lead to a more open market for digital music players and more competition for the iPod.”