MTV URGE

MTV and Microsoft first announced URGE last December, and now MTV's URGE digital music subscription service is ready to go live on May 17. The beta version of URGE is integrated into the new Windows Media Player 11, and you have the option of signing up for a 14-day free trial to the All Access to Go package, which will cost $14.99 per month if you continue, and allows transfers to up to two compatible portable devices. You can also pay $9.99 for the All Access program, but you won't be able to transfer music to portable devices. Individual songs can be bought for 99 cents each.

Cnet editors review MTV's URGE, and find it to be an excellent online music service.

PC World takes a First Look at Windows Media Player 11 and MTV Urge, and writes:

While the specs for MTV's music store are fairly standard--a library of around 2 million tracks, 99-cent downloads of 192-kbps WMA files, and an unlimited download subscription model that lets you sync tracks to a portable player for $14.95 per month--MTV's strength as a music brand is unmatched.