Microsoft announced the launch of Xbox Music today. The new venture is touted as “the first all-in-one music service that gives you the freedom to stream custom-created playlists for free, subscribe to all the music you want or download-to-own your favorite songs.” Xbox Music will be a cloud based service offering subscribers access to over 30 million songs. Microsoft looks to be taking aim at Spotify, Pandora, and iTunes. Xbox music users will be able to stream music on Windows 8 and Windows RT for free.The free service appears to be ad-supported, and after 6 months, streaming will be limited. But for $9.99 per month, you can get unlimited ad-free music streaming. They’re also launching the Xbox Music Store where you purchase music. The Smart DJ feature will let you create your own personalized radio stations similar to Pandora. And a social music is in the works so you can share music. Xbox Music will also sync users playlists to the cloud and allow them to stream their music to a variety of devices. If you have an Xbox Music Pass subscription, you’ll be able to set up a playlist on their Windows 8 PC or Windows RT tablet, and it will automatically sync with your Xbox or Windows Phone. “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 will begin roll out on October 16th.
