The key proposition with Xbox Music is its pervasive design. Last year, the company revealed that more than 42% of Xbox owners watched more than an hour of video content a day on their machines. Microsoft has noticed that console owners are increasingly using their machines for other forms of entertainment rather than just games. It will also be an integral part of the redesigned Xbox 360 dashboard when it updates this autumn. Xbox Music will be made the default music service on Windows 8 PCs when the OS launches on 26 October, giving the corporation a huge potential audience. Microsoft says it will also be offering a cloud-storage option later in the year so customers can 'scan and match' tracks they already own, opening them up for free use on the Xbox Music platform.Īlthough Microsoft's Zune music service failed to challenge in the digital music sector, its media player axed in late 2011, the company may be in a stronger position this time.

A Smart DJ feature will provide users with recommendations, as well as personalised playlists and instant mixes, while the display shows artist information and discographies – all reminiscent of the successful Spotify digital music service. Launching on Xbox 360 on Tuesday and other platforms later in the month, the cloud-based service will allow users to synchronise their music across multiple devices.

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