Microsoft and MTV will be making beautiful (albeit nerdy) music together in a just announced deal for a digital music service set to launch in 2006.
The project is called “Urge” and will make available for download over 2 million songs from various labels and independents as well as MTV programming and content.
The service will be integrated into the Windows Media Player, making some wonder Urge is part of a plan to directly take on Apple and iTunes.
Urge will move beyond just music into the social networking space. From the Billboard Digital Music Blog:
“…the service will also have a My Space-like online community…”
The New York Times is running this AP piece which includes a cryptic quote from MTV Chief Digital Officer Jason Hirschhorn on how Urge will rise about the iPod also-rans:
“We will be the preferred service.”
Hirshhorn then declined to further elaborate but how Urge will do that while being incompatible with the iPod (or even Macs, for that matter) remains to be seen.
