Microsoft is launching a new music service, to coincide with the Windows 8 launch, that will include streaming music, paid subscription models, and a music store. It will appear on Xbox 360 and Windows 8 PCs, laptops, and phones. The service will be rolled out to other platforms (iOS, Android, and a web-based version) at a later date. There will be a free, ad supported service level available as well as a pay-as-you-go music store that will sell tracks and albums. Cloud connectivity will allow access to playlists across all devices.
The service will roll out to the Xbox 360 video game console on 10/16/12 as part of a overall system update. The costs for the subscription service will be $9.99/month and will give users access to a library of 18 million songs (comparable to Spotify).
