Microsoft has announced a competitor to popular video sharing site YouTube. 

MSN Soapbox is a limited beta test available to US residents allowing members to upload video content and share it with the world.

Soapbox will also integrate with Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger service and Windows Live Spaces social network which launched last month.

Microsoft promises that the service will allow users to upload and share videos easily, find the most entertaining videos and participate in the Soapbox community.

The beta is available on an invitation-only basis. People interested in signing up can enter their email address to join the waiting list.

Access to the beta will be expanded in the future, allowing existing testers to invite a limited number of friends. The beta is currently compatible with Internet Explorer 6 and Firefox 1.0.5.

Soapbox is a critical component of MSN, according to Rob Bennett, general manager of entertainment and video services at MSN. "User-uploaded video [will complement] original content on MSN Video," he said.