Microsoft, previously, was touted to bring its own music feature to the forefront, with additional access from the company-made products. Now, per reports, Microsoft will take the anticipated leap into the music service section starting this Tuesday, Oct. 16. This will arrive alongside the new Xbox 360 Dashboard update.
The service, called Xbox Music (to emphasize the Xbox's branding as an entertainment brand that goes beyond just gaming), will arrive tomorrow with Xbox 360, and will also come pre-installed on all Windows 8 (starting Oct. 26) systems and Windows Phone 8 devices.
“The launch of Xbox Music is a milestone in simplifying digital music on every type of device and on a global scale,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “We’re breaking down the walls that fracture your music experiences today to ensure that music is better and integrated across the screens that you care about most — your tablet, PC, phone and TV.”
Xbox Music is set to be the first all-in-one music service that will give its users the freedom to stream custom-created playlists for free. They can also subscribe to all the music they want (per preferences), or download-to-own your favorite songs.
The service will operate via the cloud technology. This has been done to effortlessly integrate the music experience across the user’s tablet, PC, phone and TV. Moreover, with more than 30 million songs in the global catalog, Xbox Music will begin rolling out all over the world starting tomorrow on Xbox 360 consoles, and later this month on Windows 8 and Windows RT PCs and tablets, and on mobile phones running Windows Phone 8.
Xbox Music General Manager Jerry Johnson has described Xbox Music as the best of all music services. This includes a la carte options similar to iTunes, streaming options à la Spotify, and a Smart DJ radio option (similar to Pandora).
Xbox Music is set to offer as many as three different ways to use the service – free, ad-supported streaming (for Windows 8 only), which is a $9.99 monthly subscription (called Xbox Music Pass) that allows unlimited play, and the pay-per-song offer via Xbox Music Store that will let users purchase and download 256kbps DRM-free MP3s.
What’s more, current Zune subscribers can also jump into the service tomorrow with Xbox Music Pass. Others will have to opt for a free 30-day trial.
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