Microsoft Music Store and Window Media 10 This Week?

The new MSN Online Music Store is rumoured to appear this week, along with a new version of Windows Media Player.

Since Windows Media Player’s 100 million or so users will need to update their player shortly, what better opportunity to introduce them to a new music service?

The Microsoft online store is expected to carry the industry standard one million tracks when it launches, having signed deals with the big four labels. Early screen grabs of the service, now out of date, pay homage to iTunes in look and feel. Pricing is also expected to be similar to iTunes and Napster. So expect the European and UK stores to cost more.

Microsoft claim that the service will be compatible with about 60 music players, with even better functionality promised for Janus-compatible players when they start to appear.

Needless to say, we’ll be signed up and testing as soon at the store hits the web.

It’ll be linked off MSN when it launches