Microsoft takes on Spotify with sound of Woodstock
Zune successor on show at E3?
Microsoft will unveil its Zune platform successor at E3 2012, a Spotify-like music service codenamed 'Woodstock', it has been claimed.
Details of the platform were leaked by insiders today, who say Microsoft's latest music offering won't require any browser plug-ins and will integrate heavily with Facebook, The Verge reports.
Woodstock is said to be a cross-platform service that will be made available to Windows 8, Android, iOS and Xbox users.
With the company already ruling out any discussion of next-gen consoles at E3, perhaps Woodstock will be the big talking point during the firm's keynote, scheduled for Monday, 4 June.
We suspect its main focus will be the return of the Master Chief in Halo 4, though.
The full Zune replacement will launch alongside Windows 8 later in the year, apparently, and while subscription costs have yet to be discussed, existing Zune Pass members should be able to emigrate to the new service when it launches. ®
COMMENTS
existing Zune Pass members
"existing Zune Pass members should be able to emigrate to the new service when it launches"
That would be Steve Ballmer's kids, right?
Facebook....
.... just what we need... another damned application spamming our news feeds telling us that our friends have a really shite taste in music... I found out the other week that one of my oldest friends likes the Nolans ... I felt sick for hours.
"will integrate heavily with Facebook"
There's one good reason to avoid it.
If it would be
named i-wrubzsnfrghnnf and presented by Apple, it would sell.
Microsoft? No, sorry, not even with a free player.
Zune service not US only
The Zune service isn't US only. I've got a Zune Pass and I'm in the UK. It works quite nicely on my Lumia (better than the flakey Spotify client did, anyway) and Xbox. Cheaper than Spotify, too (just).
It is missing a few Spotify features though (I especially miss "Related Artists"), and streaming is slower to start, so hopefully this Woodstock thing will be an improvement.
Oh and yes, I know "I must be the only one", etc, etc. I'm pretty happy with my Lumia, though, and more interestingly so is my non-techie wife with hers.
