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]

Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2012/10/look-out-itunes-spotify-here-comes-microsoft/

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