AOL Release Beta Media Player For Non-Subscriber Use

Digital Music News reports that "AOL recently unwrapped its beta media player, with plans to make the application available to non-subscribers. The AOL Media Player (AMP) will be multi-functional, offering a media library, video support and CD ripping capabilities. For AOL, the player represents another move outside of the "walled garden," part of a new strategy to counter a subscriber exodus by capturing advertising-based revenues. The new application will help to thread various media offerings from the AOL Music site, which includes original video content, downloadable music files, and a wide range of streaming radio offerings. Though an early kick of the tires reveals a buggy solution, AOL has not released a date for its final release. The player will run separately from the larger AOL client software."