WebProNews

Amazon.com, no doubt noticing the explosive proliferation of online music, will be soon joining the ranks of Apple Computer and Napster by providing a digital music service, according to an article posted on the Wall Street Journal's website.

Inside sources are saying that Seattle-based Amazon has been talking with music industry executives about the service, which would include song-by-song downloads along with a monthly subscription.

New York-based digital music distributor MusicNet was approached by Amazon to support the expansion, thought to available for the fourth quarter 2005.

The rumor is substantiated, says the WSJ, by a job posting on the company's website advertising for "our forthcoming Digital Music Service," which seeks an employee to "seek and license digital music content."

Amazon spokeswoman Patty Smith says, "We never speculate about what we may or may not do in the future." Somebody should let Patty know about the job posting.

Chief Executive Jeff Bezos at least acknowledges that Amazon isn't just about books anymore.

"Digital media is very important to us," Bezos said in an interview last month about various video offerings on the site. "The immediate reason we're doing those things is it brings traffic to the Web site. It does let us stretch our legs and figure out how to do massive amounts of streaming and video downloading and so on."

A digital music service would be a smart move on Amazon's part, as an already highly recognizable source of content. As the sale CDs decline, the service could serve as a nice insurance policy, or so says Citigroup analyst, Mark Mahaney.

"If customers want their music digitally, Amazon will be there to give it to them," he said.

Jason L. Miller is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.