Microsoft debuts 'Xbox Music' for iOS ahead of Apple's iTunes Radio rollout
Microsoft on Monday took its Xbox Music streaming service free for Web users and launched mobile apps for iOS and Android, with the move coming just before Apple is expected to release its own iTunes Radio service with iOS 7.
With Xbox Music for iOS, Microsoft is looking to attract users to its Xbox Music Pass subscription service by offering six months of ad-free streaming, including access to content from a Web client and other devices.
The app also allows existing Xbox Music Pass subscribers to listen on the go, curate playlists and create artist-based radio stations. As of today, customers can now access the service via iPhone, Android device, Xbox, Windows 8 PC or tablet and the Web.
The app does not yet support offline listening, though Microsoft notes the feature will be available in a future update.
An Xbox Music Pass is required to use the new app, which features:
iTunes Radio will be ad-supported with capped song skipping, though users can lift the limitations by subscribing to iTunes Match for $24.99 per year. The price is cheaper than some popular internet radio offerings, including Microsoft's Xbox Music Pass, which is available for $10 per month or $100 per year.
Xbox Music comes in at 8.8MB and is free to download from the App Store.
With Xbox Music for iOS, Microsoft is looking to attract users to its Xbox Music Pass subscription service by offering six months of ad-free streaming, including access to content from a Web client and other devices.
The app also allows existing Xbox Music Pass subscribers to listen on the go, curate playlists and create artist-based radio stations. As of today, customers can now access the service via iPhone, Android device, Xbox, Windows 8 PC or tablet and the Web.
The app does not yet support offline listening, though Microsoft notes the feature will be available in a future update.
An Xbox Music Pass is required to use the new app, which features:
- Stream ad-free music from a catalog of tens of millions of songs
- Add songs, albums, and playlists to your Xbox Music collection and access them from other devices
- Create playlists that sync across your phone, Xbox 360, PC, tablet, and the web
- Listen to music while using your iPhone
- Listen to artist-based radio stations
- Enjoy a rich visual experience for searching, viewing, and playing back music
iTunes Radio will be ad-supported with capped song skipping, though users can lift the limitations by subscribing to iTunes Match for $24.99 per year. The price is cheaper than some popular internet radio offerings, including Microsoft's Xbox Music Pass, which is available for $10 per month or $100 per year.
Xbox Music comes in at 8.8MB and is free to download from the App Store.
Comments
Now, may both posts rest in peace....
Presumably it's a rebranding of Zune Pass, which IIRC was a service that people liked, it was just hobbled by the fact that no one wanted to buy a Zune to use it.
How portable is the Xbox? Is that some kind of phone?
Services who needs another 100 dollar per year habit? I don't know about
You but if I sign up for another service I'll be in the poor house, I have too many
As it is. No thanks Microsoft
I understand these pre-emptive, "thunder-stealing" releases of phones, tablets, services, etc... They happen before each major Apple event.
So you can't access it from a Windows phone??? That's stupid. (Well, this whole idea is stupid)
I'm sorry but iTunes Radio wins. In a world of subscription based
Services who needs another 100 dollar per year habit? I don't know about
You but if I sign up for another service I'll be in the poor house, I have too many
As it is. No thanks Microsoft
£25 to remove the ad's and still essentially have a radio service rather than a service that lets you stream specific songs or albums. It hardly wins, its like there releasing the service everyone else released 4 years ago.
Also is iTunes Radio seriously not out yet? They announced it months ago! I miss the days Apple made an announcement ending with the words "available today". Vaporware sucks.
The £10 a month fee for Xbox Music though is far to high, they need something in between that lets you access it with phones, xbox's and iPads. Right now you can stream from the web for free, you can stream from a pc or windows tablet for free (although limited to 10 hours a month). They all do the same playlist and collection sync so the only thing you get for £10 a month is xbox / phone access.
Should be noted that if you buy anything from Xbox Music then this is available on everything to stream.
I understand these pre-emptive, "thunder-stealing" releases of phones, tablets, services, etc... They happen before each major Apple event.
I wouldn't call it pre-emptive. MS announces something every month, it's inevitable that if Apple has an event there will be an announcement from MS on something close to it.
So you can't access it from a Windows phone??? That's stupid. (Well, this whole idea is stupid)
Articles wrong. Windows Phones had it since it launched, it and Xbox 360 access is the only real thing you actually get extra when you pay for the service.
Just buy your music content in iTunes, convert it to MP3, get it onto your xbox somehow and bam! You can now control your entire music library with an xbox controller!! How sweet is that!!!!!!!¡
Doesn't work. The Xbox Music app on an Xbox only streams and without a Xbox Music subscription you can only stream songs you bought on Xbox Music. You could do it with an Xbox Music subscription, but then there'd be no point in buying the music on iTunes.
Who cares?
Off topic but in answer ... I assume, although I'm not 100% certain, it is tied to iOS 7 so it is close.
Microshit's biggest problem is they have no mobile presence so who the heck cares about this?
I've been enjoying iTunes radio for a long time now and it is absolutely brilliant. It lets you type in an artist or song and works exactly like Pandora, you create a channel of songs of similar style. In fact so far it seems way better than Pandpra in getting closer to my taste for some reason. It is free too if you have iTunes match already and that is a must have. No more needing your iTunes Library on your computer, I have mine now on an external drive in a cupboard, unattached and all my music is available on any of the family devices thanks to iTunes Match, Apple TV included. Pure genius.
IMHO Investors will drop Pandora and Spotify because they are doomed, Apple don't need to make money as it will help sell hardware although they probably will in the end as usual. My guess some other big fish will will buy Pandora for their base and copy Apple, using it as a loss leader for something else.
From what Ive seen so far iTunes radio is like Spotify but only has the radio part. Most of the time I want to listen to a specific track or album. Apples approach seems to be we're like Spotify but you cant listen to exactly what you want, but you will pick us cos were apple.
MS on the other hand seem to be offering everything, but then failing to offer anything at a middle price. They've made 99% of when you want to listen to music free and the remaining 1% £120 a year.
Also is iTunes Radio seriously not out yet? They announced it months ago! I miss the days Apple made an announcement ending with the words "available today". Vaporware sucks.
Please look up what 'vaporware' means.
According to my iPhone dictionary, his implied meaning is correct.
Three months from announcement at a developers conference to release is vapor ware?
Time for a new dictionary. Vaporware typically refers to products that are announced but never produced or released.