MusicMatch To Add Music Store To Jukebox Software, Saying "We Think People Want To Own Music."

by , 11:00 AM EDT, July 29th, 2003

As usual, after Apple has brought something great to the market, everyone within earshot is scrambling to ape the style that has proved to be a success. While there are always companies like BuyMusic that don't quite get it, there is the occasional company that understands what people want and how to implement it. According to an article at C|Net, MusicMatch may very well fit into the second category.

MusicMatch, the company that currently provides Apple with the software that allows Windows users to sync their iPods, said Monday that it plans to add a music store to its Jukebox software by the end of the year. While that may sound unspectacular by itself, a quote by the company's senior vice president makes it seem like MusicMatch may be on the right track. From C|Net:

MP3 jukebox company Musicmatch, which said Monday that it would launch its own digital download service though its software by the end of the year, may be the company following most closely in Apple's footsteps. Musicmatch said it would use the jukebox music player as the gateway into the music store--as Apple has--and, at least for now, the company is avoiding the kind of all-you-can-eat monthly subscription plans that Listen.com, America Online and Roxio's new Napster will offer.

"We think generally people want to own music," Musicmatch senior vice president Bob Ohlweiler said Monday. "An a la carte service has a lot more to offer to the masses, and the potential for a much higher adoption rate."

The article at C|Net offers a look at Apple's iTunes Music Store, MusicMatch's upcoming store, and services planned by many other companies.

The Mac Observer Spin:

Bob Ohlweiler (MusicMatch's senior VP) appears to be a member of the nearly extinct species of Those Who Get It. While it's too soon to tell how MusicMatch's music store will turn out, given the quote above, you'll have to pardon our optimism. Apple's iTMS for Windows may be just around the corner, but competition is always a good thing.

C|Net