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Microsoft Readies a Rival To Spotify

Posted by kdawson on from the never-step-twice-into-the-same-stream dept.

Barence writes "Microsoft has confirmed it is preparing to launch a music streaming service. The service will be a direct rival to Spotify, hugely popular in the UK (but unavailable in the US), which allows users to stream music for free in return for listening to around a minute's worth of advertisements every half hour. 'It will be a similar principle to Spotify but we are still examining how the business model will work,' said Peter Bale, executive producer of MSN." The article claims that the new service will boost the popularity of the Zune player, though how this is to happen is not explained. There doesn't seem to be a close tie-in between device and service, as there is between the iPod and the iTunes Store.

4 of 216 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Microsoft feeling the pinch by sopssa · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's no surprise MS is going for this. Summary states its popular in UK, but it's really popular everywhere in Europe, despite needing invites to get account. Even "pro-piracy" forum users are saying in news comments how spotify has changed their listening habits and they dont pirate music anymore because spofity is just so convenient. I also am in long-distance relationship with my gf currently (was necessary for her school program) and we've always had similar music taste, so now we paste spotify links to each other in facebook or im to listen to something newly discovered good music.

    This *IS* what music industry needed and its great they've understood it now. Now just bring the same for movies and games, I'm even happy to pay monthly subscriptions for it. Just make it convenient and easy for me.

  2. Re:Had this for decades... by Timmmm · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, with Spotify you can choose the songs you listen to yourself. It's basically iTunes with a massive library and occasional adverts.

    Actually I say occasional adverts. For some reason mine has completely stopped playing any. I have no idea why but I'm not complaining!

  3. Is it just me? by alx5000 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is it me, or lately MS looks like a fireman with a watering can, running around trying to put out fires everywhere?

    I mean, Zune (iPod), Bing (Google), this (Spottify)... Lagging behind the competition a little, are we?

    --
    My 0.02 cents
  4. Re:Had this for decades... by Ginger+Unicorn · · Score: 5, Informative

    mine stopped playing adverts too - i heard that it's a bug in the linux client

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    (1.21 gigawatts) / (88 miles per hour) = 30 757 874 newtons