Xbox Music arrives to Android and iOS, and web player gets free streaming

xbox-music-expands to Android, iOS, and free web streaming

Microsoft releases Xbox Music app for iOS and Android devices, and anyone can now enjoy free Xbox Music from any web browser too. Although features are still limited, these are great improvements to the Xbox Music experience. Let’s dive into what the software giant is announcing:

Previously the company released an Xbox Music app for Windows 8/RT, Windows Phone, and the ability to stream songs on the web for subscribers. Now with new app for Android and iOS (iPhone, iPad, and iPhone touch), and allowing people without a Pass to listen to music, Microsoft further enhances the music service experience.

Download:

One thing to keep in mind is that both apps are still a work in progress, as offline playback isn’t yet supported and creating a playlist on the web player isn’t an option. Microsoft plans to release new updates every six weeks to improve the service, so stay tuned…

On the web browser side Microsoft is updating the music player and is adding free streaming. Now anyone without an Xbox Music Pass can go to music.xbox.com, sign-in with a Microsoft account, and start listening music for free.

Just remember that free streaming is only available using the Xbox Music web player and devices running Windows 8.1 or later version. You’ll be able to listen your favorite tunes without restrictions for the first 6 months, ad-supported of course, after that you either get a subscription or you’ll only get 10 hours/month.

Currently, installing the Windows Phone 7.x/8, iOS, or Android Xbox Music app, you will get a 30-day trial, but you’ll need to sign up and add a payment option.

Coming soon to Xbox Music

  • Radio: This feature isn’t available in the web version of Xbox Music, but it’s coming and it will allow to create a radio station based on the artist you like.
  • Web Playlist: This is a feature that scans artists’ mentions on a web page and creates a playlist based on their music. This feature will be released on October 18th, alongside Windows 8.1.
  • Bing Smart Search: Microsoft is integrating every search experience in Windows 8.1 to Bing, so this means that you can search for musicians, bands and artists, and clicking a song from the result will play immediately on Xbox Music. This feature also will be available with Windows 8.1.

Source Xbox Wire

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.