MTV Networks plans to launch its own Microsoft-powered digital music download service, Urge, on Wednesday in a public beta test. The service will initially offer over 2 million tracks for 99 cents each or $9.95 per album, as well as a $14.95 per month subscription service that allows unlimited transfer of songs to portable players compatible with Microsoft Windows Media Audio — excluding the iPod. The Urge service will be tightly integrated into Microsoft’s new Windows Media Player 11. In addition to album tracks, Urge will also sell recordings of performances from MTV programs like “TRL” and “MTV Unplugged”. Also available on Urge will be 130 streaming radio channels, streaming music videos, and in the future, downloadable videos for sale. “Only 5 percent of music sales happen digitally,” MTV Networks Music Group president Van Toffler told the Associated Press. “Hopefully, through the TV channels we have and the dot-com sites … we can educate people about the virtues of subscriptions. It’s not about selling a million singles.”

Links: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/15/technology/15mtv.html http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060515/mtv_online_music.html?.v=2 http://www.urge.com