AfterDawn: News

Microsoft planning Xbox music service to rival iTunes?

According to Bloomberg, Microsoft is looking to unveil a large Xbox music service that will include Spotify-esque streaming and a la carte downloads.

Additionally, the service will have cloud storage functionality similar to that of iTunes and Google Music. The streaming service will cost a certain price per month, or per year, that remains unclear.



Microsoft is in negotiations with the major record labels and indies for the licensing rights, and expect to close the deals and launch the service before the end of the year.

All former Zune Music users will be migrated to the new Xbox Music service, say the sources.

Microsoft has been busy this month, introducing their own branded tablet and showing off updated to the upcoming Windows 8 operating system.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 28 Jun 2012 20:08

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• 8 comments

• jaydubva

  They should have been doing this years ago. I'm sure the zune would still be a contender on the market if they would have put the same effort into supporting it along with the zune music service.

  28.6.2012 20:32 #1

• ZippyDSM

  Oh Microsoft what will abandon next?
  

  Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
  Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
  http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

  28.6.2012 23:46 #2

• plutonash

  I wonder if theyll throw money at the music companies to entertain this idea.
  

  "Cable thief is a victimless crime."

  29.6.2012 01:03 #3

• Bozobub

  From what the article is saying, it appears they already are =p .

  29.6.2012 09:10 #4

• hearme0

  And how many attempts is this where MS tries to knock ITunes off it's 1st place pedestal??????
  
  Just give up MS. Too many sheeple already have that lousy, invasive program for you to dethrone.
  
  Me.....?.........www.torrentz.com and voila! Any song I want. Won't pay. Artists don't make significant money on album sales. It's made on touring and charging 35 bucks for t-shirts that they got for .75 cents. Plain and simple.

  30.6.2012 02:45 #5

• salsa36

  Microsoft doesn't have any original ideas. This will die like the Zune.

  9.7.2012 09:31 #6

• salsa36

  Microsoft doesn't have any original ideas. This will die like the Zune.

  9.7.2012 09:31 #7

• JST1946

  It must be nice to have money to waste and just throw around.
  

  9.7.2012 09:59 #8