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MS reveals Xbox Music service

Kathryn McConnachie
By Kathryn McConnachie, Digital Media Editor at ITWeb.
Johannesburg, 15 Oct 2012
Microsoft says Xbox Music is an all-in-one music service that eliminates the need for 'service hopping'.
Microsoft says Xbox Music is an all-in-one music service that eliminates the need for 'service hopping'.

Microsoft has unveiled what it calls an "all-in-one" cloud-based music service to rival the likes of iTunes, Amazon Cloud Player, Spotify and Pandora.

Xbox Music will roll out to Xbox 360 users from Tuesday (16 October) and will make its broader debut with Windows 8, on 26 October.

The new music service will not be available to Windows 7 and Windows Phone 7 users, and has been built specifically for the Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Xbox 360 platforms. Windows 7 users will be able to still use the Zune Music service, which will provide access to the same catalogue of music, but will not provide the new features of Xbox Music such as streaming and cloud syncing.

Microsoft has a lot riding on the success of Windows 8 in both the consumer and enterprise markets. Xbox Music will come preinstalled as the default music player for the new Windows 8 operating system, and will feature ad-supported streaming on PCs and tablets connected to the Internet. Corporate VP of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business marketing and strategy, Yusuf Mehdi, says: "It's a great reason to buy Windows 8."

"The all-in-one music service combines the best aspects of free-streaming radio, music subscription services and music purchasing options, all in one elegant package. No longer do people have to rely on 'service hopping' to get the music they love," says Mehdi.

"There are a lot of individual services that do a good job, but today there isn't a service which can pull together the benefits of download-to-own, music subscription, or free streaming services," says Mehdi, adding that he believes Xbox Music brings it all together and will replace the other existing services.

Xbox Music will offer a catalogue of 30 million songs, and according to Mehdi, it is the "only all-in-one music service that enables users to listen to music in whatever way - and on whatever device - they choose".

"From a business perspective, Xbox Music is a great way to show the world what Xbox means for broader entertainment on their phone, tablet, PC or console," says Mehdi.

Users will be able to listen to songs or full albums, create playlists, or Internet radio stations for free on Windows 8-based tablets and PCs. Users also have the option of purchasing music they want to own.

Principal programme manager for Xbox Music, Scott Porter, says: "Our aspirations for Xbox Music are big - to address the multiple ways that people are listening to music, then put those all in one easy-to-use and beautifully curated place."

Porter adds that users can also incorporate their own personal collection of digital music into the Xbox Music service by purchasing an Xbox Music Pass for $9.99 per month. According to Porter, the Xbox Music app will eventually be made available on platforms such as Android and iOS in the future.

The free, ad-supported music streaming service will be available in 15 markets at launch. The subscription Xbox Music Pass service and Xbox Music Store will be available in 22 markets at launch, and Microsoft says it plans to expand into further markets in the future. Apart from giving the numbers, Microsoft has not specified which markets are included.

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