New download service may be best contender yet in fight for PC users' music money.

Digital jukebox pioneer Musicmatch today released Musicmatch Downloads, a pay-per-download service embedded in the new Musicmatch Jukebox 8.1. The service is already being billed as the best alternative to Apple's iTunes Music Store, which currently only works for Mac users. The launch comes sandwiched between the August launch of BuyMusic.com and the upcoming launch of iTunes Music Store for Windows. It's also the latest salvo fired in the war for music downloaders' ears and wallets.

Tonight on "Tech Live," get the first look at Musicmatch Downloads. Our LabRats are rocking out as we speak. They'll scratch out a full review soon.

Feature-packed service

Musicmatch is offering 200,000 songs available to U.S. customers for download at 99 cents apiece, without a subscription fee. It has music from the five major labels and 30 independents, and offers a diverse selection of features, including flexible saving and burning options.

Musicmatch is promising 500,000 songs available by the end of the year, an ambitious plan that likely puts it on pace with iTunes, which is expected to roll out a PC version of its service at year's end. The resurgent Napster has also promised a new service with 500,000 songs available in coming months.

"By offering consistent and fair ownership rights, breakthrough music personalization, convenient purchasing, and the highest quality files, our service is better than any free illegal alternative," Dennis Mudd, Musicmatch chairman and chief CEO, said in a statement. "The Musicmatch Downloads service is the best way for people to find, buy, and enjoy music that matches their unique tastes."

The launch of a feature-rich service for PC users comes at a critical time for PC users and the recording industry, which has gone on the offensive by suing people accused of stealing music through free file-swapping services including KaZaA. PC users say they're ready for a solid, pay-per-download service that's flexible in its features.

Is it the best?

"When it comes to ripping, burning, and managing music files, I've felt Musicmatch is without peer," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group. "Musicmatch Downloads showcases this continued leadership by providing the closest thing to an acceptable balance between what users want and the record industry needs. It improves on Apple's iTunes and addresses the other 98 percent of the market."

While Musicmatch may be the most flexible service for PC users, it's not the first. The BuyMusic.com store opened this summer with fanfare, but without critical acclaim. The BuyMusic service was mostly seen as clunky and lacking in features, and thus plagued by many problems facing other subscription music services.

It has also been relatively slow to take off. ITunes boasts that it's sold more than 10 million songs at a pace of nearly 500,000 per week. BuyMusic reported a 30 percent jump in traffic to its site after the recording industry started filing lawsuits against alleged file swappers. It hasn't said how many songs it has sold, however.

Bob Ohlweiler, Musicmatch vice president of business development said, "The whole goal here, since this is a new industry, is keep it easy, keep it simple. It's the first download store of its kind on the PC platform."

Musicmatch aims to change that. Here's a breakdown of the service.

ITunes-equivalent?

The similarity to Apple's iTunes Music Store go further than the 99 cent per song/$9.99 per album model. Both of these virtual record stores are embedded within their respective jukebox software, making the overall music experience rich and seamless. Usage rules are also similar.
  • No subscription required
  • Track license allows you to play track on up to three computers
  • Unlimited transfer of tracks to Windows Media-enabled portable devices (iPod iTunes)
  • Tracks can be burned to CD, but the same playlist can be burned only five times (10 times for iTunes)
  • Tracks are downloaded directly to the jukebox's music library
  • Thirty-second previews at 65 Kbps (iTunes uses 128 Kbps previews)


Major differences?
  • Musicmatch uses 160 Kbps WMA and iTunes uses 128 Kbps AAC.
  • ITunes has many more songs in its library, though Musicmatch says it will have 500,000 by the end of the year.
  • Musicmatch is compatible with many more portable players at this time.
  • Musicmatch adds a level of personalization and usability not available in iTunes.


"It really has nothing to do with what Apple's plans are," Musicmatch's Ohlweiler said. "It's going to be difficult for Apple to work on the PC as well as they do on the Mac platform... our product will work with a plethora of portable devices. Because they're limiting their use to the iPod, they're going to limit their attractiveness on the PC side."

Differs from BuyMusic

While BuyMusic offers some songs for 79 cents each in a wholesale-style Web-based storefront, Musicmatch offers a fuller, integrated service.
  • Instant purchase of tracks while listening to CDs, MP3s, and Musicmatch Radio. For example: If a song you like comes on, you can download it (or similar artists' tracks) right there, assuming the track is available.
  • Personalized suggestions based on your buying habits and 100 specific genres to browse.
  • Musicmatch Downloads is integrated into the player/library whereas BuyMusic users download from the website, then listen using another player like Windows Media Player or Musicmatch Jukebox.
  • Musicmatch usage rules are more lenient and consistent. BuyMusic files have limits based on the labels' rules (i.e. three copies, five transfers and 10 burns).


Integrated player

Musicmatch Jukebox has been a favorite ever since it offered 320 Kbps MP3 encoding for free. We've downloaded the free version of Musicmatch Jukebox 8.1 and are testing the waters. The GUI certainly feels integrated, with options such as Get, Play, Manage, and Copy in the left-hand column, the familiar player up top, and a nice browser area with an easy-to-use search.

There are tons of genre, radio, chart, era, and new music choices ranging from the esoteric (Cajun, comedy, party anthems) to the common (country, rap, and rock/pop). Although Musicmatch Downloads currently features a paltry 200,000 tracks, it has an interface that can accommodate much more.

Musicmatch Download will give users another reason to download the venerable jukebox.

"Tech Live" producer Andy Jordan contributed to this report.