Combining an audience of approximately 30 million regular users, Microsoft’s Ignition program, to be announced today, will leverage three of its largest services – Xbox Live, Zune, and MSN – to offer customers new music acts.  The Ignition program will expose emerging artists to the broad Microsoft audience for a month, with Maximo Park from the UK (pictured) the first participating band.  The group’s first single will be a free exclusive download on Zune, a free music video download on Xbox Live, and a streaming video on MSN.

According to Reuters, Microsoft is “demanding exclusive content and hands-on participation from the artists involved.”  Christina Calio, Microsoft’s director of music marketing, said, “We don't want the same thing that is going out on MTV.”

Additional features of Ignition include online listening parties on MSN Music and custom websites for the artists on Zune.net.  Microsoft will assist its artists in producing custom content like playlists and “behind-the-album” commentary, available through the Zune Marketplace.

Ignition’s success will depend largely on the quality of the acts.  Microsoft is hoping to be a filter for its audience, something MySpace, for instance, currently lacks.  But it’s the lack of a filter that many MySpace users enjoy.  The ability to “discover” music and recommend it to friends is one of the success stories of the online social networking movement.  Microsoft is, in essence, attempting to modernize the MTV model and distribute it over a range of services with which few companies can compete.

But is Microsoft a music aficionado?  It seems that customers today value choice more than anything.  If a company is going to choose for you, is Microsoft the one you want doing it?

Still, the opportunity for large scale success is undeniable.  

 
Scott Goldberg 

 
Related Links:
Microsoft starts Ignition for music promotion