Microsoft's New Xbox Music Service is Coming to iOS

Xbox Music is a new Microsoft all-in-one music service that will also be available on iOS and Android devices. It begins rolling out Oct. 16 on the Xbox 360, then to Windows 8 on Oct. 26.

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, says Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business Marketing and Strategy. No longer do people have to rely on "service hopping" to get the music they love.

For example, Mehdi explains, here's a not-that-outlandish scenario for a music lover today: you're listening to an Internet radio station at work, say Pandora, and you hear a new song you love. You quickly stop what you're doing and bookmark the song before it stops playing. Later, in the car, you open Pandora to look up the name of the bookmarked song, then you open Spotify so you can use your subscription to listen to it again. Two weeks later, you're thoroughly in love with the song, and decide you want to buy it so you can burn it to a mix CD you're making a friend, so you purchase the MP3 on Amazon or iTunes.


"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," Mehdi says. "With Xbox Music, what we wanted to do is bring all of that value in one simple, easy-to-use service, then build some additional value on top -- make it really beautiful, and have it work across all of your devices. We've been able to simplify the music experience in a really powerful way."

Xbox Music, which comes pre-installed and is the default music player for the new Windows 8 operating system, will feature free, ad-supported streaming of the entire catalog on PCs and tablets as long as users have an Internet connection. Users can also make playlists, discover new music, and purchase and download music.

Purchasing an Xbox Music Pass for US$9.99 a month will allow users to take that music to the cloud, letting them enjoy the collection they've curated on other devices such as Windows Phone 8 and Xbox 360.

Microsoft says the Xbox Music app will even eventually be available on platforms such as Android and iOS as well.


Read More