A system and methods enable switching between a plurality of online media services from within an application, such as a media player application. A user can switch to any one of a number of online services made available in a services menu and thereby make that service the active service. The active service has customization opportunities that permit the service to customize parts of the media player or other application. Advantages include providing online media services with an ability to control the way in which customers discover and purchase media from within the feature rich environment of various user applications such as a PC-based media player application. From a user's perspective, the advantages include an uninterrupted media experience that can involve the entire process of discovering, purchasing and using of a wide variety of media content all from within the feature rich environment of a media player application.