Read on Digital Music News:

Apple will soon face a powerful new digital music contender. Viacom division MTV Networks and Microsoft have teamed up to design and develop a new digital music service called “Urge,” which will debut in the US in 2006. The offering already has the support of both Sony BMG and Warner Music, two labels reportedly unhappy with Apple’s ability to dictate price in the present digital music market. The effort is an unusual combination of MTV — often regarded by the labels as having too much power — and the 800lb. Microsoft gorilla, a pairing that hopes to seize the market from surprise leader Apple. And the Microsoft stripes will be very clear: Urge will be integrated into a future version of Microsoft’s Windows Media Player.

MTV currently has a footprint of 165 million US viewers, a very powerful base from which to operate. Additional details of the new service will be disclosed in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.”