Microsoft launches Xbox music for Windows 8 platform

Microsoft Xbox music was unveiled with a 30 million song bank

Microsoft launched Xbox music to continue its hopes in the realm of music sharing rivaling the likes of iTunes and Spotify. The music service has been a common strand about the software giant despite the failure of Zune. The Xbox music service from Microsoft will be available on the Xbox 360 from October 16 and will be launched across tablets, PC’s and laptops along with the unveiling of Windows 8 on October 26.

The Microsoft Xbox music feature sports a 30-million song reserve available at the beck and call of the user. The new feature is available in three platforms. A free streaming service will provide ad-enabled access to the reserve, but this platform will be limited to a fixed number of hours after six months.

Another platform on Microsoft’s Xbox music will provide a premium, unlimited and ad-free streaming option at a price of £8.99 a month. The users will also be able to purchase and download any track from the catalogue. Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business of Microsoft said, “The launch of Xbox Music is a milestone in simplifying digital music on every type of device, and on a global scale.”

Xbox Music will not be available on Windows 7 and Windows Phone 7 as the service is designed for Microsoft’s Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and Xbox 360 systems. The paid version of the service, Xbox Music Pass, will be available in 22 countries. The Windows 7 users will continue to have access to Zune for their music needs.

Microsoft executives have promised that the Xbox Music application for Android and iOS devices will be available early next year, thus expanding its user base on all the operating systems.