Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 Released

Microsoft, the world’s leading producer of software, on Monday released Windows Media Player 11, the latest version of its popular software that enables users to view music and video, among other media files, PCWorld.com reports.

The new version of Windows Media Player boasts an improved user interface (UI) that’s designed to function with the MTV Urge online music locale, which offers customers some 2 million songs from upwards of 110,000 artists, according to PCWorld.com.

Microsoft is hoping to take a bite out of Apple Computer and its iTunes Store’s dominant market share in the online media download space by joining forces with MTV.

Urge usually charges 99 cents for single songs and $9.99 for complete albums—about the same amount that Apple charges via its iTunes Store—but MTV’s service offers its customers something Apple doesn’t: a monthly subscription plan that enables them to pay $9.95 a month for unlimited downloads, according to PCWorld.com. Urge customers need to continue paying the monthly fee during each renewal period or their music libraries will be blocked.

Since the majority of PC users in the world have Windows Media Player installed on their machines, and the software will play Urge content, Microsoft is better positioned than many other competitors to actually give Apple a run for its money—a feat not yet successfully achieved by any such rival.

In addition to the new UI, Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 features a function that can determine if a media file has been incorrectly labeled, as well as enhanced search functionality and more user-friendly navigation options, PCWorld.com reports.