Neo-music store, take 2

After dropping its Urge music store when a collaborative effort with Microsoft fell through, MTV Networks has decided instead to partner with RealNetworks and Verizon Wireless to create an integrated digital music service that replaces each company's current offerings.

AdWeek reports that, like Urge, the music store will compete with Apple's iTunes. The core of the offering is a joint venture between RealNetworks and MTV called Rhapsody America in which Real owns 51 percent and MTV the rest.

Under the agreement, MTV will spend $230 million promoting the store over the next five years. The store is kicking off on Sept. 9 during the MTV Video Music Awards.

Current Urge subscribers will be asked to swap their Windows Media Player 11 software for Rhapsody's software. Urge's critically acclaimed blogs, reviews and recommendation services will also be migrated to the new offering.

Verizon Wireless will become the exclusive wireless distributor for the new service, replacing its VCast Music Store.

Already, VCast's technology is delivered through a technology called WiderThan, which RealNetworks acquired last year.