photo by JEKY

Music is very important to students, I had not been exposed to such a wide range of music until I started uni.

It will be no surprise that the iPod and iTunes are a students best friend. But can Britain’s biggest supermarket muscle in on iTunes market share when it comes to downloadable music?

Well Tesco have just relaunched there music download service, rebranding it Tesco Digital.

Not that imaginative, but it’s to the point.

So apart from the flashy new website. What can students and others expect from this relaunched service?

• MP3 files that work on iPods- the selection is slightly limited at the moment, previously Tesco only provided WMA files which are associated with windows media player, therefore incompatible with iTunes and iPods. Although WMA files are still most common on the site. Another advantage of having MP3 files will be that you can burn them to CD’s with none or little restrictions!
• TV & Film downloads is coming soon!
• Tracks from 79p same as iTunes
• You get clubcard points!
• Free games to waste time before exams!

Will it be successful in challenging iTunes? Well I’m not to sure, certainly it is a step in the right direction. The design of the site gives it a more appealing look to younger visitors, whereas before it just looked like an extension to the grocery site. Certainly the brand and the financial clout of Tesco should be considered. But this is an attack on uncharted territory. For me iTunes will remain dominant. This may prove an impossible challenge for a supermarket.

But why not check Tesco Digital out and give your views?