The day the music died: Xbox Music cancels free streaming feature

By Will Fulton October 23, 2014

day music died xbox cancels free streaming — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft has announced that it is discontinuing the free Xbox Music streaming feature on December 1, 2014 in all countries where it is currently offered. The free service is survived by the premium, subscription Xbox Music Pass, which costs $10 per month. Microsoft is vague as to why the free option is being cancelled, only saying “We are focusing Xbox Music to deliver the ultimate music purchase and subscription service experience for our customers.”

Related: Hands on: Xbox Music’s web player fights Spotify with simplicity, not features

MP3s that you added and music purchased through Xbox Music will still be accessible. Your playlists and collections will also carry over, but you can’t listen to them unless you purchase the music or have an Xbox Music Pass. More details of the upcoming change can be found over at the Xbox Support FAQ.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…

Gaming

Xbox and Embracer’s mass layoff explanations aren’t good enough

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer during Updates on the Xbox Business | Official Xbox Podcast.

The wave of layoffs that has happened over the past year in the video game industry is well-documented. Some of the biggest culprits are Embracer Group, which has laid off nearly 1,400 workers across several of its studios since the start of a restructuring program last July, and Microsoft, which laid off 1,900 developers across Xbox, Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard in January. After relative silence around these layoffs, leadership at both companies finally tried to offer more transparently into what happened.

Neither of their statements are good enough.

Gaming

Xbox games on PS5? It’s not as shocking as you think

Key art for Starfield

It's been a busy few weeks for console war soldiers.

Tensions spiked last month when "Nate the Hate," an industry insider with a decent track record, claimed that Hi-Fi Rush was headed to Nintendo Switch. The rumor sparked some mixed feelings among Xbox fans, some of whom expressed dismay over one of the console's system-selling exclusives coming to another platform. Other reports at the time claimed that Rare's Sea of Thieves could also be bound for PlayStation and Switch. That rising anger came to a head this weekend when XboxEra reported that Xbox is planning to launch its biggest exclusive, Starfield, on PS5.

Gaming

The 4 best monitors for Xbox Series X in 2024

Xbox Series X Stylized Graphic

The Xbox Series X is a delightful console, but can ironically be a headache to get a suitable monitor for. Why? It can't necessarily take advantage of all of the stats the best gaming monitors are going to be able to give it. It's rated to run 4K at 120Hz max. This means the usual high definition, high refresh rate lists of monitors — what gamers typically go for — is thrown out the window. However, with lower requirements, there are actually also lower quantities of monitor for you to choose from without, essentially, paying for extra. No matter what your situation, however, here are the best monitors for the Xbox Series X that you can buy right now.
The best monitors for the Xbox Series X in 2024

Buy the for a monitor that is the right price and tuned to the needs of the Xbox Series X.
Buy the for a larger monitor with some fun extra features.
Buy the for one of the best gaming monitors out there that will also work great with the Xbox Series X.
Buy the for a serviceable budget gaming monitor for Xbox Series X gaming.