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Microsoft on Sunday introduced the world to Xbox Music, a streaming music service available exclusive to Windows 8 and Windows RT device owners. It's being billed as the first all-in-one music service, and it one-ups streaming services like Spotify by giving Windows 8/RT PC and tablet owners the ability to play specific songs on-demand without having to pay a subscription fee. Microsoft says its music catalog extends to tens of millions of songs (over 30 million), all instantly available to stream and/or to create an unlimited number of playlists.
"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 users will have the option of purchasing their favorite singles or albums from the Xbox Music Store. There will also be a subscription-based Xbox Music Pass option that runs $10/month, which gets rid of ads and allows you to download songs for offline playback. You'll also need this option if you intend to use the service on your Xbox 360 console (plus a Live Gold membership) and/or Windows Phone device.
Xbox Music will launch to Windows 8/RT-based tablets and PCs on October 26. Other platforms, such as Windows Phone 8, will have access "shortly after.
Comments are closed on this article
_Jono_
October 18, 2012 at 5:42pm
But the beautiful thing about spotify is that it is available as an app on iphone, android, AND Windows Phone. Why wouldn't spotify be available for windows 8, 7 and everything else apart from my xbox? The only thing that might entice me enough to jump ship is to be able to download and keep the actual mp3 with ownership. Otherwise, why not just keep spotify and not limit myself to specific devices.
Brad Chacos
October 15, 2012 at 11:19am
As a person with Windows 8 and an Xbox 360, I'll try it out, and now I know why Spotify never turned up as an Xbox app!
4twenty
October 15, 2012 at 12:55pm
I'm also using Windows 8 and will have to give this a shot. How are you liking Windows 8 so far? Are you using it on a touch-enabled display?
kevaskous
October 16, 2012 at 12:39pm
I quite like it after getting ti all setup and looking at 3rd party apps like xlaunchpad and nexus dock and of course start8 for the metro style start menu :D
Cregan89
October 15, 2012 at 11:31am
Windows 8 doesn't get the update until October 26th unfortunately.
someuid
October 15, 2012 at 11:10am
"We’re breaking down the walls that fracture your music experiences..."
*requires:
Windows 8 -or-
Windows RT -or-
Xbox 360 with Gold Live membershipMicrosoft should go into the business of selling ladders, because each of the requirements to access this service are walls if you don't have them, and are there entirely to get you to buy their New Stuff.
Their premier OS (Windows 8) is a cobbled together On-Any-Screen joke, and their XBox brand is built entirely on 7 year old hardware.
Someone, please, for the love of God and computer users everywhere, make Balmer retire. He and the various department heads have no clue what they are doing and need to Get Lost.
Cregan89
October 15, 2012 at 11:27am
It also runs through the browser, and iOS and Android apps are on the way.
Also, you're really going to bring up the Xbox argument? I thought everyone here at MPC was intelligent enough to understand the basic pros and cons of console gaming vs PC gaming... Guess I was wrong. To clue you in, the majority of the population would rather not deal with the complexities and added cost of PC gaming, and are perfectly fine playing the latest video games in HD from the comfort of their couch on a $200 system. Not to mention, the next Xbox is expected to be released within a year from now anyways, so clearly they do "have a clue".
Rinyre
October 15, 2012 at 10:16am
Spotify lets you play with ads on PC at no cost, as well, so the only real benefit here is WP8 users MAYBE can play any song any time without ads. That's the extent I think.
