With Microsoft's impending Zune launch, it's time to bid MSN Music adieu. According to the BBC, the MSN Music store will take the digital dirt nap the same day Zune is launched:
Microsoft has said it will stop selling music from MSN music from 14 November, when Zune goes on sale in the US.
But in a move that could alienate some customers, MSN-bought tracks will not be compatible with the new gadget.
If you've bought music from MSN Music, it'll still play in Windows Media Player 11, and on device it has always played on, of course. If you're lucky, it's a PlaysForSure-shaped object, because once November 14th rolls around, you'll have to get music for your Windows Media device elsewhere.
In order to continue to buy your music from Microsoft (hey, no laughing—I'm sure someone did), you'll have to buy yourself a Zune player, since the new stuff Microsoft's selling isn't PlaysForSure compatible. Perhaps that might be a good time to consider buying an iPod, too.
Everybody's been saying how Zune might not ding Apple's iPod franchise, but it would hurt the ecosystem Microsoft tried to establish around Windows Media 11 and PlaysForSure. It appears everyone was correct, and that the first online music service (and, thus, their customers) to get Zuned is Microsoft's own.
Tags: MSN Music, Zune, PlaysForSure, iPod