Microsoft is expanding its music streaming service to iOS and Android to compete with rivals like iTunes, Spotify and Pandora, CNET reported.
Xbox Music will no longer be offered only to Microsoft device users and will now be offered to Android and iOS mobile operating system users. The music service will also be available on the web.
Like its rivals, it Microsoft offers a free version with a limited selection of music and a paid subscription with unlimited use and no ads. The Xbox Music Pass subscription costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 for a full year, but the free service limits users to ten hours per month after six months.
"Xbox Music now, more than ever, powers music experiences between Windows 8, Xbox, Windows Phone, and now iOS, Android and the Web," Xbox General Manager Jerry Johnson said in a statement. "We're also excited to connect artists with their fans on the most anticipated consumer product of the year when Xbox One launches Nov. 22."
The service also offers connectivity to various devices, according to a press release. For example, add a song from the Xbox Music library to your smartphone and it will be available on any other device running the service.
Microsoft's announcement comes in the middle of a big season for tech companies. Samsung has already unveiled its smart watch Galaxy Gear and its latest "phablet," the Galaxy Note 3. Expected Tuesday is Apple's unveiling of the next iPhone and the upcoming iOS 7 update, which includes its own music streaming service.
Apple will be launching a new radio service with its next iOS release, a project that had been long in the works. The iOS radio and Xbox Music will enter an arena already crowded with Pandora and Spotify, whose only function is music streaming. The Xbox, however, simply appears to be adding another feature to compete with Sony's PlayStation as an all-in-one home entertainment hub.
