MSN Music shutting down


News.com is carrying an obituary for the latest casualty of Apple's digital music success. The good news is Microsoft's MSN Music is shutting down. However, the bad news is that current customers will apparently be abandoned.

"After November 14, the 'Buy' buttons that you're used to seeing on MSN Music album and artist pages will change to links that connect you to Zune and to Real Rhapsody," MSN Entertainment general manager Rob Bennett said in an e-mail to MSN Music customers.

As noted in the News.com writeup, MSN Music files won't play on Rhapsody-enabled devices nor will they play on Zune, leaving users no way forward.

MSN Music opened just over two years ago in September of 2004.

Editor's note: Ha! Plays for sure!