(RED)WIRE music service to launch 1 December

28 November 2008 17:13 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

On 1 December, which is also World Aids Day, MSN will launch new music service (RED)WIRE. The service, that we've reported on previously as coming soon, is part of the larger, Bono-backed (RED) charity effort that treats people with AIDS in Africa.

On 1 December, to celebrate the launch, MSN will broadcast a new song from a top artist every hour but on a weekly basis, (RED)WIRE will take the form of a digital magazine with bundled downloads.

(RED)WIRE will be delivered via a desktop "(RED)WIRE player" widget to subscribers every Wednesday, that promises to let users "experience each issue of (RED)WIRE in an immersive, visual, magazine-like way", of which MSN says: "you'll have to see it to know what we mean".

Each week's issue of (RED)WIRE will contain a DRM-free exclusive song from a major artist that subscribers can keep and a song by an artist the service wants to promote. In addition, there will be "a fun or inspiring piece" that's not music, such as a vid or photography and updates on the charity's work in Africa.

(RED)WIRE will cost $5 per month to subscribe to, with half the fee going to buy medicine to keep people living with HIV in Africa alive.

Full tags

Audio, Music downloads, Microsoft, MSN, Product Red