Microsoft has toyed with the music industry in the last few years, releasing the Microsoft Zune hardware which was recently scrapped. Zune lived on though, in its other hardware projects – including Windows Phone and Xbox. It seems now though that Microsoft wants a new approach, with the coming launch of Xbox Music.
There’s no word yet as to whether it will replace the Zune software and interface, but it is rumoured that with Xbox music, you will be able to listen to music for free (with ads) just like with Spotify. The service is expected to be released on Windows Phone 8 devices, Xbox, and of course its upcoming operating system Windows 8.
There will also be a paid option, whereby you pay less than £9 a month to listen to all the music you like without advertisements. This could be big, given Microsoft’s hold over the gaming market and more recently over the mobile market. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.