Microsoft takes a bite at Apple iTunes

Microsoft launched a US beta version of its online music store on Wednesday, in competition with Apple's popular iTunes music service.

The MSN Music beta, currently available only in the US, allows users to download individual music tracks for 99 cents each, the same price as Apple's online store.

The service allows users to download albums from a wide range of artists and listen to them through a selection of more than 70 portable devices, such as Microsoft's new Portable Media Center.

MSN Music also provides a search facility that corrects common spelling mistakes and allows users to search for music compatible with a variety of portable music devices.

"Our goal with the MSN Music service is to bring digital music to the masses by offering legal music on the internet, available on a selection of portable devices," said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president for MSN.

Users can access MSN Music through Internet Explorer or Windows Media Player 10, which incorporates direct access to the music library, playback and the capability to automatically transfer paid-for music to portable devices.

The US beta version currently lists more than 100,000 songs, and that number is quickly expected to exceed one million, according to Microsoft.

Tracks will be encoded at between 160Kbps and 256Kbps, with downloads stored in Windows Media Format which, Microsoft claims, results in the industry's highest-fidelity audio.