MTV Networks and Microsoft Corp. have announced that they will partner to design and develop a new digital music service.

The service, to be called Urge, is due to launch in 2006, the companies said in a joint release, and will be integrated into a new version of Microsoft’s Windows Media Player.

Plans call for the service to offer more than 2 million songs for download from major labels and independents, as well as original content and MTV Networks programs.

URGE will not be compatible with Macintosh computers or iPods. (So what else is new?)