Microsoft, weary of watching Apple dominate the online music market, is now planning a complete revamp of its digital music strategy. First, Microsoft plans to issue a major update to its Windows Media Player software, which will hit beta this November. Next, it plans to release its own music subscription service. The service will be similar to Napster To Go and Yahoo Music Unlimited in that it will offer access to a large library of tracks for a low monthly fee. Finally, Microsoft plans to broaden adoption of Windows Media through partnerships with cellphone makers and through its upcoming Xbox 360 videogame system, and it has tapped Robbie Bach, former head of its Xbox group, to spearhead this new push.

The company is pursuing these initiatives amid weak consumer adoption of music stores that use its technology. Apple’s iTunes Music Store dominates the industry with 82% market share and over 430 million songs sold to date, while its iPod line of digital music players command 76% of the market, with over 16 million sold. The remainder is split between over a dozen companies, most of whom use Microsoft’s technology but have failed to make headway against Apple.