OD2, Microsoft Team Up On Windows Jukebox

Windows Media Player users will be able to buy music downloads from a selection of European online stores, after Microsoft Corp and OD2 teamed up to lure fans away from iTunes.

The service, known as “SonicSelector,” was developed by British-based download service OD2 and was unveiled on Monday at a press conference in London.

The announcement comes as OD2, long Europe’s dominant download firm, and Microsoft Corp brace for the European arrival of the iTunes Net music store, a launch that is expected to jumpstart Europe’s tiny music download market.

Apple is hosting a press conference on Tuesday in London where, music industry sources said, it will announce the long-awaited European launch date for iTunes.

Read the rest of the story at Reuters.