Feb 1, 2004 12:00 PM, Compiled by Sarah Benzuly

LOUDEYE, MICROSOFT LEND A HAND

Digital music services provider Loudeye and Microsoft will collaborate on handling the infrastructure and distribution of online music services branded by other companies that are looking to sell songs online. Loudeye's services — which include its Digital Music Store and iRadio Service that contains 100 pre-programmed music channels — are based on Microsoft's Windows Media 9 Series. Early customers include AT&T Wireless and Gibson Audio. Plans for Microsoft's own download service are still in the works.

WAL-MART JOINS THE DOWNLOAD FRENZY

Retail giant Wal-Mart launched a bare-bones Website (http://musicdownloads.walmart.com/catalog/servlet/MainServlet) to test its new $0.88-per-song online music service. Offering thousands of tracks that can be downloaded in the Windows Media Audio format, as well as transferred to portable devices, burned to CD or played on Windows-compatible PCs, the site is currently in beta test and will formally launch in the spring of 2004. Tracks available will mirror those that are sold at the stores, continuing with the company's policy of not offering music that it deems offensive.

DO I HAVE P2P PROGRAMS ON MY COMPUTER?

Music-Amnesty.com has debuted its ShareControl ($19.95), a software program that checks for the Top 10 music file-sharing programs and MP3s on a computer and then allows the user to delete them.

“I think most people want to comply with the RIAA ruling but just don't know enough about their computers,” said Mark Andrews, co-founder of Music-Amnesty.com. “The key advantage we give users is the ability to police themselves. Users decide if they want to delete these programs, turn sharing on and off, delete or keep music files; we don't impose our values. Our research shows that when parents delete one peer-to-peer product, their sons or daughters often download another product and start downloading music again. Parents need to know if these products are on their computers and what their potential liability is.”

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