After stopping the manufacturing of its Zune music players in 2011, Microsoft now decides to put an end to its Zune music services and it looks like it has no plans of turning back.
The announcement has taken a long time coming, since the service has never really been able to keep up with rivals such as Apple's iPod and iTunes. Still, it's also quite surprising to know that Microsoft has managed to keep it going for quite some time after debuting the device in 2006.
The Zune music player will still be able to function as a basic MP3 player, which means users will still be able to load their content into the device and listen to them during playback. Microsoft warns, however, that while users can still enjoy music playback on their devices, they may be restricted music that are protected by digital rights management in cases when the license cannot be renewed.
"As of Nov. 15, 2015, Zune services will be retired," wrote Microsoft on its support page. "You will no longer be able to stream or download content to your device from the Zune music service. However, Zune devices will still function as music players and any MP3 content that you own on the Zune device will remain there."
Microsoft added that users who have Zune Music Pass subscriptions will automatically be transferred to Microsoft's Groove Music Service beginning on Oct. 15 unti Nov.15. Under the new music service, users will have to pay a subscription rate of $9.99 a month or $99 a year. Users who have annual and three-month subscriptions to the old service will be allowed to get partial refunds for unused time on their subscriptions.
One of the perks enjoyed by Zune Music Pass subscribers is the ability to receive and keep up to 10 free tracks every month. Unfortunately, this will be wiped off with the new service.
"While there are no more free tracks to download, you'll have access to more than 40 million songs in the Groove catalog," said Microsoft.
Microsoft touts the Groove Music Pass as being equipped with support for iOS, Android, Xbox, Windows and the web. The company also recently added Sonos support, allowing users to enjoy music through their whole-home speakers. Moreover, users can also stream music through the company's OneDrive cloud storage service.
