1. A system for playing digital files on a software program embodied on a computer-readable medium comprising: means for delivering to a user over a communications network a license to enable the user to play at least two different digital files on the software program in accordance with the parameters of the license, wherein the digital files can be played on the software program without maintaining a persistent connection to the communications network, the digital files are encoded in a manner limiting play on the software program in the absence of the license, the manner in which the digital files is encoded is a proprietary format, the license enables the decoding of the digital files for play, and to the extent the playing of the digital files on the software program exceeds the parameters of the license, the playing is limited.