I thought I had already written by final Zune obituary, but this week Microsoft told the remaining few Zune users and Zune Pass subscribers that the ride is finally over.
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Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)has announced that it will no longer support music streaming or downloading from Zune Music platform after November 15.
Existing Zune devices and MP3s you own should work fine after Zune itself shuts down.
The Zune music service, which was launched as a possible competitor to Apple’s supremacy, has greatly disappointed. Furthermore, it also pulled video support for all Xbox devices as well. So Xbox Music Pass and now Groove Music Pass both do not offer this benefit. You’ll also be able to transfer music to and from your Zune player. Shuttering of Zune Music doesn’t come as a surprise, or it shouldn’t be. But Microsoft does note that it’s not just the Music Pass service that’s ending, it’s basically all Zune services.
Sonos is a little different than some audio solutions in that playing music on their speakers requires a specific app, which among other features enables access to music libraries on up to 16 PCs, Macs, or other storage devices on a home network, various Internet radio services, and music services like Groove Music.
If you are a Zune Music Pass subscriber, you will be switched to a plan that matches your existing plan.
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Subscribers could pay $10 per month to stream or download music to play on their Zune devices, and folks who signed up before October 3rd, 2011 even retained the ability to snag 10 free-to-keep MP3 files per month. If you’d rather not carry on with the service, you can cancel it before your subscription ends and there might be a chance for you to get a partial refund.
