BY PAUL MALONEY
MusicMatch has announced a deal with Bell Canada, the world's fifth-largest Internet service provider (ISP), for the two companies to nationally distribute the MusicMatch Radio MX service in Canada. The new site is www.musicmatch.ca.

An e-mail from MusicMatch to the press described the deal as "the blueprint for all future ISP companies offering compelling digital music services." MusicMatch says this deal represents the first streaming music subscription in Canada, the first time a U.S. digital music subscription service has been distributed outside the United States, and the first time an ISP and digital music company have "joined development and marketing efforts to fully integrate and distribute digital music services."

While it's true that Canadian consumers were free to subscribe to MusicMatch (or other services) in the past, they would need to use an American-issued credit card and pay in US funds.

And, while other subscription services have worked with ISPs in the past (MSN/pressplay, AOL/Musicnet, and Rhapsody/Roadrunner), MusicMatch representatives say their deal with Bell Canada is the first in which completely separate companies are investing such a significant amount of development and marketing effort.

And most importantly, says MusicMatch, through the purchase of special music licensing for Canada from the five major label groups, MusicMatch will be able to offer music from popular Canadian and international artists to Canadian customers.

The plan is to market Net music to Canadian Internet users who, according to the e-mail, are twice as likely to have broadband access as US Net users. For Bell Canada customers, the charge can be added to their monthly access bill, and is payable in Canadian dollars.

Like the American version, there are limits to the service, even when compared to those offered by other online music subscription companies. Subscribers will indeed have access to 100,000 songs and "CD-quality streams" (with a high-speed connection) of preprogrammed stations, and can "build" their own commercial-free stations by selecting their favorite artists, era and genres. However, there is no "downloading" capability, no CD-burning, and users aren't allowed to select specific songs for their stations.

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From Delphi's press release: "Delphi Product & Service Solutions, a division of Delphi Corp. and XM Satellite Radio today unveiled a next-generation plug and play satellite radio...

"Delphi and XM have teamed to offer the Delphi XM SKYFi Radio, an attractive, compact unit that has the most advanced user features of any satellite radio on the market today. The receiver, along with vehicle and home accessory kits, will be available at major retail outlets beginning in October. SKYFi will retail for $129.99 (MSRP) for the receiver and remote control. A required home or vehicle kit for $69.99 (MSRP) will complete the SKYFi system for under $200.

"Delphi and XM today also introduced the Delphi XM SKYFi Audio System, a portable audio unit that integrates with the SKYFi receiver. The SKYFi Audio System (excluding the SKYFi receiver) will be sold at retail stores later this year for $99.99 (MSRP).

"The SKYFi Audio System is a 'boombox' that contains a pair of high quality speakers with an integrated high gain antenna and a dock for the SKYFi receiver. It can be powered by an A/C adaptor to create a high quality countertop/bookshelf XM system for the home or office, or used with batteries to experience XM in virtually any location."

See Delphi's product information page here. A full copy of this press release is here.

From InternetNews.com: "The concept that the online, at-work audience represents an attractive demographic gains still more backing, as new findings from Avenue A support what's become a major selling point for the beleaguered Web ad industry.

"The Seattle-based Web media buying agency said a recent survey of more than 3,000 Web users suggests that consumers who browse the Internet while at work spend more than when reached at home. About 60 percent of at-work Web users have spent $100 or more online during the last three months, versus 39 percent of home-only Internet users.

"As compared to home-only Web users, at-work Internet users are also 64 percent more likely to conduct e-commerce transactions, and 54 percent more likely to browse goods and services online."

Read this entire story from InternetNews.com here.