Microsoft's Xbox Music to End Free Service Soon

Microsoft has announced that it'll be putting an end to free Xbox Music streaming later this year, meaning that the service will soon only be available for paying subscribers. The Spotify-style, advertisement-supported free version for Windows 8 devices and the web launched in October 2012 as an alternate option to paying for a subscription.

That's set to end on December 1st, when Xbox Music will be brought in line with the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions of the service, where users need to pay a $9.99/£8.99 a month subscription fee to become a member and gain access to roughly 90,000 music videos, unlimited ad-free music streaming and offline listening on PCs, tablets and phones, as well as access on consoles.

"We are focusing Xbox Music to deliver the ultimate music purchase and subscription service experience for our customers," reads a new Microsoft FAQ explaining the changes to Xbox Music. "You may continue to view any playlists or collections you created using the free streaming feature, but you can't listen to the music in those playlists or collections unless you purchase the music or an Xbox Music Pass."

If you're already a subscriber to Xbox Music, nothing will change for you, and songs you already own will be unaffected.

[Via Eurogamer]

on the plus side tombstone engravers who charge by the letter are going to much richer in future as they carve the long words 'here lies so and so, micropaymented to death'

Well that sucks, I have used the free streaming loads over the past few months, will have to switch back to internet radio now lol!