Microsoft has launched a music download service in Europe after the success of a similar service run by rival Apple in the United States.
Microsoft's MSN Music Club allows fans in the UK, France and Germany to buy single songs from 75p, or 0.99 euros.
It is being billed as the first pan-European pay-as-you-go online music shop.
Apple's iTunes music store, which offers songs for $0.99 (62p), was an instant hit when it launched in the US in May - but Microsoft has beaten it to the European market.
Through Microsoft, fans can buy more than 200,000 songs from all five major record labels - roughly the same as the iTunes catalogue.
Many tunes are priced at 75p, with more popular songs at 99p and "gold" singles at £1.19.
Gold tracks are new singles, available as soon as they are sent to radio stations - up to six weeks before the CDs reach shops.
And full albums will be priced to download from £7.99, or 12.49 euros.
Songs are available through the 250 million copies of the latest version of Microsoft's Windows Media Player as well as its website.
full article at BBC
