The music channel, MTV, is, by its very nature, not the sort of organisation to shy away from a trend.

As progress in computer technology becomes the driving force behind most modern-day inventions, so MTV is also taking a byte of the apple.

Peter Good, MD of M2, explains what the channel has to offer

MTV is expanding its presence on the Net. But far from being just a Web site - MTV pages appeared several years ago - it will be the first TV channel to premiere programmes on the Web.

M2, as it is called, from Monday will transmit exclusively on the Internet, 24 hours a day, and with a difference: the programming will all be down to individual taste and choice.

Peter Good, Managing Editor of M2, said the Web was the ideal choice for a concept such as this.

The M2 homepage

"M2 is about new and innovative ways of making music television, which makes the idea of premiering the channel on the Internet irresistible.

"TV and the Internet are converging and M2 will be pioneers of this new age," he said.

User choice

It certainly is an alternative choice when put next to the MTV satellite station. At M2, there are no presenters and no set playlist. You, the viewer, are entirely in charge.

On the M2 site, viewers can access a library of more than 1,500 tracks, create a playlist and link them together with introductions by the bands themselves. Or you can select one of the many unedited interviews with bands.

Requests are sent in by e-mail to M2 and selected at random. The user is then e-mailed back and told when their request will air.

Mr Good says the thinking behind this most interactive of media, lies in the decision to move away from what is already available.

He said: "We wanted to get the channel away from the concept of playlists. Radio and music television stations usually run on a playlist of videos that they turn over 30 or 40 times a week.

"We wanted M2 to have a really hand-programmed feel. What we are interested in is how individuals will create an hour's worth of music television."

A techno match

M2, says Mr Good, is essentially a hybrid of television and the Internet. And this will become more apparent in its future development.

Good on the technology that is here and is still to come

But, in its present state, the Webcast is limited by the technology currently available to most users.

The eventual idea, totally dependent on the arrival of digital TV, is to converge both media to complement on another.

This would mean viewers requests could be made on the Web, but aired on an M2 digital television channel.

Music on the Internet: the latest sounds at your fingertips

That is the day for which the creators of M2 are waiting.

Mr Good said: "The great thing about the possibilities of digital TV is that it can become a very interactive media. That was another reason for experimenting on the Web, which is the home of interactivity."

Secondly, until most modems are upgraded, M2 will have to concentrate on showing concert footage. The average type of modem is just not fast enough to show the intricate images in music videos.

The noise-makers

But there is a downside. Concerns have already been raised over the concept of music on the Internet, with more and more bands and companies making records available to be downloaded free.

Good talks about potential pitfalls of music on the Net

In particular, it is piracy that stands as the biggest threat to its success. The inexpensive recordable CD hardware and software also makes the quality of pirate copies much more desirable.

M2 has a facility which prevents users from recording any material that it broadcasts, but Mr Good agrees that today on the Web, nothing is really foolproof.

But the big record companies do not seem worried. PolyGram and Sony are looking for ways to market records on the Internet directly to the customer, which do not conflict with their marketing efforts in other areas.