(RED)WIRE music service to launch 1 December

Digital music subscriptions from the Product Red charity

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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.