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Microsoft's Xbox Music Will End Free Service
Microsoft's streaming music service will soon become subscriber-only.
According to this FAQ posted on the official Xbox site: "Effective December 1, 2014, the free Xbox Music streaming feature currently available on Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and over the Internet will be discontinued in all countries where it is offered."
If you've already purchased music through Xbox Music, you will continue to have access to the music you own.
Microsoft says that it is discontinuing the free service because it is "focusing Xbox Music to deliver the ultimate music purchase and subscription service experience for our customers. With Xbox Music Pass, you have access to millions of songs on your PC, tablet, Xbox, phone, and the web."
Subscriptions to Xbox Music Pass will be $9.99 a month.
Source: Xbox.com via Eurogamer
Our Take
It sounds like Microsoft is going after the already crowded streaming music market - which is already saturated with applications like Spotify, Google Music, Rhapsody, and Grooveshark. I doubt that this will gain much traction.
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