14 DAY TRIAL // With the release of Windows 8 drawing near, Microsoft is making the final preparations for the release of new services that will go along with the platform.
One of them has been long rumored to be Xbox Music, which is reportedly set to completely replace the Zune service from the company.
Microsoft hasn’t provided too many details on what the new service will have to offer to its users until now, but we can get an idea of the price the Xbox Music will come with once Windows 8 is made available.
Users launching the Xbox Music application on their Windows 8 computers today and heading to the Xbox Music Store will learn that the service can be enjoyed for free for a period of 14 days.
Those who would like to subscribe to it can choose a monthly pass that goes for $9.99 (£8.99 in the UK, The Verge reports), or can choose a 12-month subscription and pay $99.90 for it (or £89.90, if you live in the UK).
Of course, there will also be codes available for lucky users to redeem, providing them with access to the service for discounted price tags.
The pricing is similar to the one available for the Zune Pass at the moment, which does not come too much as a surprise. After all, this is about the same service, only that it has been rebranded.
According to a forum post on NeoGAF, Xbox Music will also come with a free advert-supported service, as well as with a scan-and-match locker service.
Users signing up to a Music Pass will enjoy unlimited access to songs on Windows 8 PCs and tablets, as well as on Windows Phones, as long as the subscription is up to date. The Music service is expected to provide users with the possibility to sync songs between devices as well.
A credit card is required even for the trial period, which is automatically renewed to a paid subscription when it ends. However, one can cancel the subscription at any time, before the current subscription period ends.