Musicmatch launches new download service

Windows users now have another option for buying music online. Musicmatch has launched a download service offering some 200,000 songs for $.99 each or albums for around $9.99. All the music is encoded in the Windows Media format. Here’s one thing I like about the service:

In a first for a Windows-based pay-per-download store, the service will feature consistent usage rules for all tracks. MusicMatch downloads can be stored on up to three PCs at once and can be transferred to compatible portable devices that support Windows files. Tracks can be burned to CDs; playlists can be burned up to five times.

The downside, as I’ve mentioned before, is that if you have a portable digital music player that does not support the Windows Media format (such as my Archos Jukebox) you’re out of luck.