Microsoft Unveils XBox Music Ahead Of E3

posted in: Music News

While the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, won’t get underway until June 5th, Microsoft got a headstart on the proceedings and buzz with a press conference today. Among the new game trailers and upcoming features was the announcement of Xbox Music, a new streaming service offered through Xbox Live.

Microsoft isn’t taking their new service lightly. TechCrunch reports that Xbox Music will offer a catalog over 30 million tracks deep and will also be accessible over various Microsoft products such as Windows Phones and the Windows 8 operating system. The size and functionality of Xbox Music puts it into direct competition with the likes of iTunes and Spotify.

Xbox Music is but one of many new offerings that make up a bundle of content that Microsoft will be offering through the Xbox Live ecosystem. The New York Times mentions that Microsoft also announced new partnerships with the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association. All this in addition to SmartGlass, a new feature that will allow users to synchronously experience content across a number of different Microsoft devices. For example, a user could be playing Halo 4 on their television while opening an in-game map on their tablet or cell phone.

The move from Microsoft to offer streaming music across many devices isn’t unprecedented; Sony has had its own Music Unlimited service running in one form or another since June 2010.