Jupiter Communications estimates that 20 percent of households will have broadband access within in the next four or five years, which will eventually provide a substantial market for this kind of music delivery. More than 2,000 albums and hundreds of singles will be available for download during the trial. The companies will also test narrowband telephony as well as compression and network delivery. IBM developed EMMS as a delivery system that's based on an open architecture. This includes a clearinghouse, similar to the banking concept, that authorizes and processes transactions.
Online retailers can offer music from record companies that work with the clearinghouse.
You can then transfer the music to any recordable digital media or device that complies with the music format and copy-control policies of the particular music company or artist. Customers will also be able to download the graphics and promotional materials that accompany albums or songs. No final pricing structure has been announced, but prices are expected to be comparable to those of current CDs. Digital video recording service from Microsoft. ZDNet and ZDNet logo are registered trademarks of ZD Inc. Content originally published in Ziff Davis Media publications is the copyrighted property of Ziff Davis Media.