MUMBAI: Microsoft's MSN is in preliminary talks with MySpace about using the social-networking site's music service, MySpace Music, to help power music offerings on the giant X.

While sources at both companies cautioned that the talks are still early, Microsoft, which has its own music site that it programs with original and partnered content, execs are interested in goosing it.

That's because MSN Music consistently ranks substantially lower than other big online music properties in terms of traffic, while MySpace Music is always near the top.

While MSN and MySpace offer similar music services - both offer music downloads, playback of tunes, information about concert appearances, and commercial music videos - MySpace Music tends to be a bit more interactive. It features highly trafficked user forums for categories such as acoustic and metal, plus a karaoke section that lets Web visitors post videos of their own musical performances. MSN Music, meanwhile, adds content such as music blogs and photo galleries.

MSN trails behind MySpace Music in traffic, too. AOL Music, is the leader in this arena with 27.4 million unique monthly visitors, according to an April report by comScore. MySpace Music came in second in the comScore rankings, while MSN Music trailed behind in sixth place.

A deal between MSN and MySpace would have some precedent. MSN's sports site is powered by Fox Sports, which like MySpace is a News Corp. property. In fact, Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal has reported that MSN, FoxSports, and independent blog aggregator Yardbarker have just inked a deal which deepens an existing content syndication and ad sales pact between the three hubs.

In a blog post published in mid-July, Boomtown reported that MSN is looking to attract more users by concentrating on five areas - entertainment, news, sports, finance, and lifestyle - while intertwining more data from its Bing search engine.

A few days back Google and social networking site Facebook has also announced the availability of music on their respective sites indicating a sudden surge in the online availability of music.