Look Out iTunes, Spotify! Here Comes Microsoft
by Nate Wooley | October 15, 2012 10:22 am
The online music market is about to get more competitive. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT[1]) is announcing today that it’s entering the streaming music business.
The new service, called Xbox Music, will offer ad-supported free music streaming similar to Pandora (NYSE:P[2]) and Spotify, according to The Wall Street Journal[3]. A fee-based version will give subscribers an ad-free service that allows for downloading as well as streaming. Xbox Music will allow Microsoft to present a clear difference between its service and Apple‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL[4]) iTunes, which doesn’t have a streaming option.
Here are some facts about Xbox Music:
- Available only for PCs and tablets running Windows 8 and Windows RT
- Available today for Xbox 360 users, this month for Windows 8 users
- Also available on handsets using Windows Phone 8
- There’s a free ad-supported version
- A pay option allowing downloads will be available for $9.99/month
- Could be available for Apple and Android systems withing a year
- More than 30 million tracks are available, 18 million in the U.S.
More on streaming music:
- Spotify Headed to Web, No Price Cuts[5]
- Apple Eyes Pandora’s Turf; Investors Flee[6]
- Nokia Launches New Music Streaming Service[7]
Endnotes:
- MSFT: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=MSFT
- P: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=P
- according to The Wall Street Journal: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2012/10/15/microsoft-offers-free-music-streaming-with-limitations/
- AAPL: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=AAPL
- Spotify Headed to Web, No Price Cuts: https://investorplace.com/2012/09/spotify-headed-to-web-no-price-cuts/
- Apple Eyes Pandora’s Turf; Investors Flee: https://investorplace.com/ipo-playbook/apple-eyes-pandoras-turf-investors-flee/
- Nokia Launches New Music Streaming Service: https://investorplace.com/2012/09/nokia-launches-new-music-streaming-service/
Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2012/10/look-out-itunes-spotify-here-comes-microsoft/