Microsoft launches Xbox Music to take on iTunes, Spotify

Microsoft has officially taken the wraps off of its new music service called Xbox Music. The company has been branding the Xbox 360 more as an entertainment device than a gaming-specific one. This can be seen in past updates with the inclusion of apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, and ESPN. The company seems to have realised now that music is just as important as any of those things for consumers. During the launch Xbox Music general manager Jerry Johnson said, "We also realize, as an entertainment company, that music is an important ingredient on its own and as a part of different user experiences."This would be Microsoft’s second attempt at creating a music channel, the first being the not-very-successful Zune. This time, the company is focusing on integrating the service into as many of its devices as it can. While starting with the Xbox 360, the company plans to integrate the service into other devices that would be running Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8 through its SkyDrive cloud service.

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