Microsoft may be on verge of launching subscription music service

Insiders say Microsoft may be on the verge of launching a Napster style music subscription service, with rumours suggesting Yahoo’s recent arrival in that space has forced the IT conglomerate to speed up their plans. Exactly how a Microsoft music subscription service would work isn’t clear, though it would almost definitely be a strand within its existing MSN Music platform. Of course Microsoft will have to tread carefully in this domain because some of its potential competitors in this space, in particular Napster, use the Microsoft DRM system - something which is helping Microsoft’s Windows Media Player compete with Apple’s iTunes.