MSN Expands International Music Store

[James Fee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.betanews.com/article/MSN_Expands_International_Music_Store/1099583406' target='_blank'>http://www.betanews.com/article/MSN_Expands_International_Music_Store/1099583406</a><br /><br /></div>"<i>Following Apple's recent launch of the iTunes Music Store for the European Union, Microsoft has announced its MSN Music download service is available in eight new countries. Individual songs range from 99 euro cents to 1.29 euros, slightly more pricey than those from iTunes. Microsoft partnered with CDON.com to bring MSN Music to Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland; Spain, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland stores were launched through an arrangement with OD2. MSN Music is now offered in a total of 17 countries.</i>"<br /><br />Sounds like good news for those in Europe. Choice is a consumers best friend. 8)

[Jason Dunn]

Still nothing in Canada though? AUUUGH! :evil:

[James Fee]

Still nothing in Canada though? AUUUGH! :evil:What is the problem up there? I'd figure it would be easier than Europe to get this stuff up and running.... I bet it is Quebec, no?

[Jason Dunn]

I bet it is Quebec, no?

Probably. &lt;sigh> Dual-language issues always seem to complicate launches of anything in Canada.

[Filip Norrgard]

Hmmm... MSN Music in Finland (http://www.cdon.com/MSNMusicDownload_Fi.phtml) is quite messy. They are using CDON.com as a "deliverer" while putting the MSN Music brand in another frame. :?

The price for a single is quite different from iTunes' price at 0.99 €, namely 1.29€. The albums have a individual pricing (also above iTunes price at around 10€) as well (depends on the number of tracks?) 12.90 € for Natasha Bedingfield's premiere album, and 11.61€ for Green Day's American Idiot (Regular Edition) album.

I just would have liked a better designed website, since this one is just too messy and confusing! 8O Not to mention, looks friggin ugly in Opera! :x

[Filip Norrgard]

I bet it is Quebec, no?

Probably. &lt;sigh> Dual-language issues always seem to complicate launches of anything in Canada.
Huh? Here in Finland, companies have stopped being bilangual and nowadays they just make a webpage in Finnish and ignores us Finn-swedes (i.e. we Finns who have got Swedish as our mothertongue). :roll:

Ok, maybe the government owned pages have managed to improve on that part, but most companies are being ignorant of us. :( A Canadian living here had talked with a newspaper here about how it was in Canada, and it sure sounded stricter over there. But, most of the pro-bilangual laws in Canada wouldn't be feasable to apply to Finland -- according to some minister, to which I agree.

And, compared to French Canadians (or is it the other way around), Swedish Finns are declining in their numbers. Currently, we're around 6%... :sad:

Hey, okay, maybe back to the topic.... ;)

[[email protected]]

So You speek swedish, Filip? Roligt att höra!

I think that subcontracting an online CD store is a tad cheesy. Maybe that's just me.

[Felix Torres]

I bet it is Quebec, no?

Probably. &lt;sigh> Dual-language issues always seem to complicate launches of anything in Canada.

Uh, not my place to tell you how stuff runs on your turf, but don't you folks have restrictions on *who* can sell "culture-content"?
Like, Amazon had to partner with a local source to be allowed to sell books, CDs, and DVDs to canadians...
(And Borders can't even get into the country, last I heard...)

So, maybe MS has to have a separate local hosting facility to be allowed to sell in Canada?

Cause if they were allowed to serve you from the states it would be trivial for them (or Napster or whomever) to set-up the alternate pricing front-end...

And other products that don't fall under those restrictions can move a lot easier across the border; most computer retailers (Tiger, CDW, etc) certainly don't have a problem setting up common back-ends for both countries...

[Jason Dunn]

Uh, not my place to tell you how stuff runs on your turf, but don't you folks have restrictions on *who* can sell "culture-content"?

True, it might be a CRTC thing. Our government is keen on "protecting" us, even when we want to get HBO to watch. :roll:

[Felix Torres]

Uh, not my place to tell you how stuff runs on your turf, but don't you folks have restrictions on *who* can sell "culture-content"?

True, it might be a CRTC thing. Our government is keen on "protecting" us, even when we want to get HBO to watch. :roll:

Ah yes, the old "protecting us from ourselves" thing.
We get it a lot down here; just not in those areas...

CRTC, huh? I'll have to research the term...
(Considering how much US TV is filmed in Canada, you'd think they'd relent a bit...)

[Jason Dunn]

CRTC, huh? I'll have to research the term...
(Considering how much US TV is filmed in Canada, you'd think they'd relent a bit...)

Oh, Americans can come shoot their moveis and TVs here, but they just can't broadcast it all back up acros the borders. :roll: :lol: