Time Warner Cable is launching a music service intended to compete with iTunes. The music subscription service will offer more than 3 million songs from EMI Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group as well as independent labels, according to Time Warner on Thursday.

The Road Runner Music Service is a subscription service and music store. The Time Warner Road Runner Music Portable is a service that allows customers to play the content on portable music players.

"These enhanced music products offer superb functionality and a solid value for our customers," said Steve Cook, group vice president of High Speed Online and Road Runner for Time Warner Cable. "We are pleased to offer our customers music products that are convenient and easy to use both in the home and on the go."

Here are the features of the service:

1. RRMS is a subscription service only.
2. Files are in Windows Media format, protected.
3. RRMS supports PCs only
4. MusicNet is writing the media player for Time Warner
5. Synacor will handle billing and authentication

For US$9.95/month customers will have access to subscription songs, ad-free radio, and music videos. For an additional US$5/month the Road Runner Music Portable service will allow customers to play ther content on up to three portable media players.

Specific media players were not mentioned in the release.