From December 1, you will no longer be able to stream Xbox Music for free on your PC, phone or favourite web-accessing device. Information is scarce on exactly why the ad-supported, entry-level music streaming option of Microsoft’s Spotify-a-like has been offed (“We weren’t making enough money” doesn’t tend to go out in sparsely worded corporate FAQs), but the service isn’t going away entirely.
You’ll now have to pay for the previously existing premium Xbox Music Pass, which will set you back £8.99 a month and yet another standing-order entry on your internet banking media-subscription log of shame.
Microsoft is assuring Xbox Music users that any paid music they have uploaded to their cloud collection as part of the service will remain their virtual property. Which is nice.
But while playlists will remain and continue to function, only music you’ve purchased, or are Music Passed up to access, can be played from December on. Which is not so nice. [Microsoft via The Verge]
