Sympatico / MSN Music Store

The Sympatico / MSN Music Store is a Canadian online music service allowing users to download music in a variety of purchase models. The [http://musicstore.sympatico.msn.ca/content/viewer.aspx?cid=SMS_Home music store] (musicstore.sympatico.msn.ca) currently has a large catalogue of over 2 million tracks and contains English and French content from leading and emerging artists of all genres. Users can listen to a 30 second song preview and then purchase and download it instantly to burn it on a CD or transfer it to a compatible digital music device.

Similar to iTunes, the Sympatico / MSN Music Store offers music on a Pay Per Download basis; however, the Sympatico / MSN Music Store also offer a subscription based service called All Access Music and All Access Music To Go. The All Access Music service allows users to add unlimited tracks to their library from the All Access Music catalogue for a monthly or an annual fee. Music added to the user’s library can be downloaded to a computer or listened to from any computer through a webplayer. The All Access Music To Go service provides customers all the features of All Access Music plus allows them to transfer music to a compatible digital music device.

History

Bell Sympatico and Microsoft partnered to launch the Sympatico / MSN Music Store on July 31st 2006. Powered by Puretracks, the store initially offered 850,000 songs, but with on going support, has seen that total rise to over 2 million.

The store was designed to be the music site for MSN in Canada (MSN U.S. is at music.msn.com), and despite being run primarily by Bell Sympatico, features various Microsoft integrations, such as: Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Search, and Windows Media Player. The Sympatico / MSN Music Store is tightly integrated with the Sympatico / MSN Entertainment Portal (entertainment1.sympatico.msn.ca/music).

When initially launched, the Sympatico / MSN Music Store offered their catalogue of songs on a pay-per-download basis (similar to that of iTunes). In July, 2007 the store added a subscription service called All Access Music, allowing users unlimited access to their All Access Music Library for a monthly or an annual fee. In October 2007, the Sympatico / MSN Music Store further expanded its offerings with an [http://mp3.sympatico.msn.ca/content/viewer.aspx?cid=GlobalNav_Home MP3 catalogue] (available at sympaticomusic.ca) providing music in the MP3 format, thereby catering to the iPod market.

All Access Music

Launched in July, 2007, [http://musicstore.sympatico.msn.ca/content/viewer.aspx?cid=smms_subscriptionlanding All Access Music] is a subscription service offered through the Sympatico / MSN Music Store. For $14/month, users can download an unlimited amount of songs from the All Access Music catalogue. The songs are downloaded in a protected WMA format and can be played using Windows Media Player. For an additional $2/month, users can upgrade to the All Access Music To Go service which allows them to sync their music to a compatible digital music player for the duration of their subscription. These services are also available to Bell Sympatico internet customers for a special discounted price of $10/month for All Access Music and $12/month for All Access Music To Go. Bell Sympatico customers have the option of using their Sympatico billing to pay for this service.

Songs in the user’s library can be downloaded and played on 3 different computers or streamed on any computer through the webplayer feature. These tracks cannot be burned to CD’s, and like any other subscription service, technology prevents these tracks from being accessed once a user's subscription is discontinued or expires.

The All Access Music services are available to Canadian residents, and as such, feature a wide variety of French and English content.

Pay Per Download

Sympatico / MSN Music Store also enables consumers to purchase music on a per song basis.The files downloaded are in a protected WMA format. Tracks start from $0.79 per song, with the most common price being $0.99. Songs can be listened to on the PC, a compatible PlaysForSure digital music device; and unlike the All Access Music service these songs are permanently owned by the user and can be burnt to CD’s.

MP3 Catalogue

In October 2007, the Sympatico / MSN Music Store launched an MP3 catalogue. This catalogue offers over half a million DRM-free MP3 songs starting from $0.99. Since these songs are free of DRM, they can be played on your computer, burned to CDs and transferred to digital media players including the iPod and MP3-enabled mobile phones without any restrictions. Currently, the catalogue consists of MP3 tracks from EMI artists and several independent labels

Exclusive Content

The Sympatico / MSN Music Store offers some exclusive content to its users, which includes special recordings from artists at the Live @ Orange Lounge in addition to articles and playlists from featured and recommended artists.

E-cards

The Sympatico / MSN Music Store also provides a variety of e-gift cards allowing users to send music download gifts in different denominations. The e-gift cards are available for the [http://musicstore.sympatico.msn.ca/content/viewer.aspx?cid=GlobalNav_Gifts WMA catalogue] as well as the [http://mp3.sympatico.msn.ca/content/viewer.aspx?cid=GlobalNav_Gifts MP3 catalogue] .

Playlists

Sympatico / MSN Music Store also contains a large selection of playlists featuring songs based on various genres and themes e.g. Grammy Nominees, Wedding Songs, Christmas songs etc. These playlists include a selection of Celebrity playlists and recently introduced Olympian playlists.

Digital Rights Management (DRM) Restrictions

DRM is an encryption method used to protect the copyrights of digital content and restricts the number of computers or portable devices that can play purchased music. The majority of the catalogue offered by Sympatico / MSN Music Store is in DRM-enabled WMA file format. However, with the introduction of the new MP3 catalogue, the Sympatico / MSN Music Store now offers over half a million DRM-free songs that can be downloaded and played on multiple devices without any restrictions.

Availability

Purchases on the Sympatico / MSN Music Store are available to Canadian residents only.

External links

* [http://musicstore.sympatico.msn.ca Sympatico / MSN Music Store]
* [http://mp3.sympatico.msn.ca Sympatico / MSN Music Store MP3 Catalogue]
* [http://www.allaccessmusic.ca All Access Music Subscription]
* [http://www.bce.ca/en/news/releases/bcinternet/2006/07/31/73789.html Bell Launches Ultimate Music Destination]
* [http://www.marketnews.ca/news_detail.asp?nid=3122 Bell Adds DRM-free iPod & Mobile Phone Compatible Tracks to Sympatico/MSN Music Store]