• 
• 

The new service, Sound Zero, comes with MSN 7.5 and higher versions. The service is the result of collaboration between Microsoft and Warner Music (Thailand) to enhance the online-entertainment experience for the 4.25 million MSN users in Thailand.

Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia where MSN has launched the service, Windows Live and MSN Southeast Asia marketing director Craig Law-Smith said.

Through the service, Microsoft hopes to boost the number of Thai MSN users to 5 million and increase revenue by 25 per cent by the end of this year.

MSN ranks Thailand as its No 1 market in Southeast Asia and ninth in the world with 120 million messages sent daily. The number of messages sent is 12 times greater than the number of SMSes a day.

To listen to songs, users can click on the service icon on the MSN menu and access more than 700 lists categorised into hits, rock, rare and new releases, Warner Music (Thailand) managing director Nadda Buranasiri said.

Users can also get information about the songs and the artists as well as their current and upcoming programmes such as live concerts.

Initially, users will be able to listen to streaming songs free of charge. From next month, Sound Zero will allow users to buy and download songs. "Revenue will be shared by the radio station, Sound Zero, Microsoft MSN and song owners. The download speed will be 128 kilobits per second," Nadda said.

The service also allows users to post songs on a radio station. Once a song gets 2,000 votes, the system puts the song on the station's hit list.