Those who like using their Xbox consoles to listen to music for free will not be happy to hear that Microsoft is closing the free version of the Xbox Music streaming service on Dec. 1.
The announcement follows two years after Xbox Music made its debut, providing Xbox fans with the ability to stream, buy and store their favorite songs, according to CNET. Users have been allowed to stream as many songs as they wanted for six months, but have been limited afterwards to 10 hours.
Xbox Music has faced several competitors along the way that have offered free options for music streaming, such as Pandora, Spotify, iTunes Radio and Google Play Music. These companies would often use this as a tactic to get people into their paid subscription plans.
Microsoft will offer a $10-a-month Xbox Music Pass as a replacement for its former streaming service, which will come with a 30-day free trial, PC Magazine reported.
The Redmond, Washington-based company said it is pulling the plug on its free streaming service so it can have Xbox Music "deliver the ultimate music purchase and subscription service experience to our customers. With Xbox Music Pass, you have access to millions of songs on your PC, tablet, Xbox, phone, and the web. Download music for offline listening and create playlists that automatically sync across your devices."
Xbox owners will still keep all of the music they bought through Xbox Music on their phones, tablets, and Windows PCs, along with the MP3 files they've added.
However, Microsoft said that while users will still be able to look at playlists and collections created with Xbox Music, the only way to listen to the music in these playlists or collections is to buy the songs or an Xbox Music Pass, CNET reported.
"If you have an Xbox Music Pass, you will still have access to all the music in your playlists, radio stations, collections, and catalog," the tech giant said.
