Earlier in the week we heard that Microsoft would be changing the name of its Xbox Music app to Groove, and now Microsoft has released new versions of Xbox Music for iOS and Android.
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Music filtering. You can now filter your music to see just what’s available offline. Turned on in 2012, Xbox Music was Microsoft’s attempt to replace its unsuccessful Zune service with a new one that would offer music streaming, storage and purchasing.
Windows 10 will be integrated into Xbox One, Microsoft have confirmed, as part of a wider initiative of sharing applications across devices. Windows 10 launches to the public on July 29.
No more Xbox Music Pass requirement.
Microsoft has also been making more of an effort to focus on apps and services for other operating systems, such as iOS and Android. There is a lot of sense in this logic and Microsoft wanted to distance subscription-based music from the gaming Xbox branding. But you can’t access the Xbox Music Radio station, which creates custom stations based on your favorite artists.
The reason for renaming is rather simple; end users believed that you have to own a Xbox in order to subscribe to Xbox Music.
LeBlanc said the new Groove service will have access to 40 million songs and offer “an improved experience for listening to and managing your music”. While previous versions of these apps only let you download music in playlists for offline use, you can now download individual songs and albums too.
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The company, which dominates in personal computers but has been lagging in mobile devices, is hoping the new system will help it better compete with Google’s Android-powered devices and Apple’s iOS hardware.
