Microsoft launching Xbox Music in October
Xbox Music was first debuted at E3 alongside Xbox Video and SmartGlass.
According to The Verge, Microsoft will launch the streaming music service on the October 26. Much like Spotify, it will be available on a subscription or free ad-supported basis.
Xbox Music will not be restricted to the Xbox 360 and will also be accessible from Windows Phone 8 devices and on Microsoft's new operating system. It is also planned to be brought over to other platforms including iOS and Android, but apps for these devices will not be available at launch.
Earlier price leaks suggest that a monthly subscription to the service will cost £8.99 with an annual pass selling for £89. At launch, Xbox Music is expected to have library of more than 30 million tracks.
Xbox Music was debuted at this year's E3 alongside Xbox Video and SmartGlass. It is part of Microsft's wider ambition to allow people to have a continuous digital experience across multiple platforms. The service will have Skydrive support, Microsoft's cloud solution to let people access content across multiple devices.
The Xbox 360 has seen an increasing focus towards general media outside of games with support for film and video. One of Microsoft's previous efforts in the music space, its Zune mp3 player, was discontinued in October 2011 so the company could focus more time and resource on Windows Phone.
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Discuss in the forums ReplyCome to think of it, I a friend of mine works for Microsoft on bing, He was annoyed when I told him 'That must be like working on a sinking ship.' to which he was not best pleased.
Calling it Xbox Music makes it sound like a crap console port.
You can actually do that? I don't have to use waxed cylinders, vinyl platters or even those new fangled CD things any longer? It's amazing what you can do with computers these days. Subscription based music... I'm just in awe at the originality of those Microsoft boffins, they sure got the brains!
This sounds like an amazing idea. So cool, fresh and original. And it's so simple that it's a real surprise someone didn't think of offering this up as a service before now!
So you pay a subscription and get access to fresh new music? That's so cool. Again I can't get over the fact that nobody came out with this idea before.
Typical Microsoft to get in first with such radical new ideas such as this.
Why does Google calls everything Play ? Play Books, Play Magazines, Play Movies and Play Music from Play Store.
Same reason why this service is called Xbox Music. Xbox is the "multimedia and gaming" part of Microsoft, it is as simple as that. Later you will see Xbox Videos, and you will even get Xbox Games (expect GFWL to change to something like Xbox Games For Windows Live :D).
You're absolutely right. No company should ever do something that other people have already done. Competition never benefited any market, now did it?
Sorry, what?
Working on a search engine is very difficult. Google got lucky. They original search engine was terrible, but it was the best at the time. They have so many people using it that they collect a lot of data to improve it, plus, well they have been working on it and continues to, longer than Microsoft. It's not a sinking ship, Microsoft is defining Bing as a "decision maker", not a search engine like Google. Bing has it's own strength.
So they are going with a brand name that people know, and linked to Media and Entertainment: XBox.
That's because you are ignorant. Microsoft presented this feature, called Zune Pass, back in 2006 with their Zune MP3 player. Microsoft was the first to introduce this service. It never picked up, as Microsoft didn't know how to market it. They probably expected it to be like Windows, where people would just come. This is compared to Apple that is marking their iPod like no tomorrow. Ads EVERYWHERE, and ALL THE TIME on TV, Bus stops, subways, buses, and around the world. Billion and Billions of dollars spent. Not to mention also, special both in retail stores showing off Apple's iPod, and not the "the other MP3 player collecting dust in the corner of the store where teh lights above it are turned off". Plus, it didn't help that the Zune was US only, while the iPod was available world wide.
So the Zune got buried, and no one knew about it. The reason why it was only available in the U.S, was that Microsoft was able to only sign a deal with the Music industry association over there. Much later to Canada (way too late), and with the Windows Phone 7 a few other places around the world. I guess now that the music industry sees that digital distribution is the only way for survival, especially with the massively increase of self distributed music artists, they are finally, somewhat, given in. If this service is available world wide, or almost, this time, it could be that the music industry sees it as being the end of piracy related to music. And that is why they agreed upon it.
The Zune Pass not only allowed unlimited music streaming and download for a month or yearly fee (the ad supported streaming is new), but it was higher quality than what you can buy on iTunes, PLUS you had an entire system that Apple and other music subscription service tries to copy:
-> Music discover system
-> SmartDJ (form the music you are playing, compiles a list from other artists that got influenced, by what others are listening, and related to the same style). Another great way to discover new music.
-> You can actually full your music player of 100% legit music in high quality.
-> Social Network service (ok well Facebook took most users away, but still cool).
-> Personalize picks of music based on your rating of music, and what you are listening.