Yahoo and Linksys joined forces on Thursday, allowing Yahoo Music subscribers to tune-in to tracks stored on their PC and access the audio output via a home stereo system.Yahoo and Linksys joined forces on Thursday, allowing Yahoo Music subscribers to tune-in to tracks stored on their PC and access the audio output via a home stereo system.
The two companies collaborated to create a plug-in that lets the Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge work directly with the Yahoo Music Engine to enable users to stream music to different devices in the home.
"Essentially this is a co-marketing deal more than anything else," said a Linksys spokesperson. "Yahoo has taken their music engine and dropped a management function into the interface. From that interface you can now manage your Music Bridge."
The new plug-in transforms the PC to a "sound system" of sorts and lets the user control their musical access through the Yahoo Music Engine interface.
"You press a button on the Yahoo interface and it sends music to the Music Bridge, which then transmits it through the stereo system," said a Linksys spokesperson. "So, for example, if you want surround sound, it has digital outputs to allow for that."
Linksys' Music Bridge, which is not Yahoo Music-specific, connects to the home stereo system via standard cables and wirelessly syncs to the users' home networking system. Users also have the option of connecting with standard 10/100 Ethernet cabling, according to officials.
The Music Bridge communicates with the PC via 802.11g networks, and is currently available for purchase online and in-store for around $99.
"The Music Bridge acts as a virtual soundcard, so it will take any sound from your PC," said a Linksys spokesperson. "Using it with Yahoo adds more functionality, as far as control."
The Yahoo Music Engine is available as a free software download. The music management application lets users store, share, play and transfer music, create playlists, listen to pre-programmed radio and burn CDs.
In addition, users can upgrade to subscription-status for access to a million song-strong music catalog, personalized recommendations and customized, commercial-free radio. The Yahoo Music Unlimited subscription service costs $6.99 monthly or $4.99 per month with an annual subscription.
As part of an integrated promotional campaign, Yahoo is now offering a $20 rebate on the Linksys Music Bridge when customers purchase a one-year subscription for its music service, bringing the price of the Bridge to $79.99, for a limited time.
As part of the campaign, the companies will also cross-market each others products and services via Web sites, newsletters, advertising, product packaging, etc.
Yahoo and Linksys have teamed up on this venture partly in response to recent research from In-Stat that showed 60 percent of respondents said they would be into connecting their PC and stereo system to access digital music files.
"Sending audio from a PC to a home entertainment center was the top response in our study as to what type of media consumers wanted to stream using a home network," said In-Stat analyst Joyce Putscher, in a prepared statement. "The Linksys and Yahoo relationship should help make customers even more aware of what they can do with their music services and where they can access them."
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