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MTV Networks Inc. has sat on the sidelines for years as it has watched numerous companies offer music download services that are gradually growing into profitable business models.

For a company that is supposed to be edgy and on the front of the pop culture, they have really dropped the ball on this one.

Still, they have announced that they are finally entering the online music space with their new offering called URGE, which begins its public beta on Wednesday.

URGE will come integrated into Microsoft (MSFT) Corp.'s Windows Media Player, which will be offered to Microsoft Windows users within the next few weeks as an upgrade. Before that it will be made available to download at Microsoft and URGE Web sites.

From the beginning URGE will offer more than 2 million tracks which will be priced individually at 99 cents or complete albums which will start at $9.95.

For a monthly cost of $9.95 you can get unlimited downloads and for $14.95 for the freedom to transfer songs to more than a hundred compatible portable music players.

At the beginning URGE will offer streaming videos, with video downloads coming later in the year.
  
Of course the major problem for URGE is what you haven't heard yet. Like its other competitors RealNetworks' Napster Inc. and Rhapsody, URGE won't be compatible with Apple's Macintosh computers or its iPod digital music player.
 
Analyst Phil Leigh with Inside Digital Media "The thing that works to their advantage is they have a well-recognized brand that is popular to a demographic that is going to be receptive to purchasing digital music."

Personally I don't agree with his thoughts on this. Music downloads are basically already a commodity. Will someone migrate to another download service based upon a brand name? I don't think so in this particular venue. That, plus the incompatibility issue with iPods, will make this a tough road to success, if they get there at all.

There are already other companies like I mentioned above that are in this sector, why would someone want to change? Would you? Tell us why!