Xbox Music said to rival Spotify and iTunes, Microsoft to make a mark in music
![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/xKW6iox6xiWKyyCUE9iASQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYzNA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/dvT0VLOUHfaNrCpZ4iB58g--~B/aD0zOTY7dz02MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/xbox-music.jpg)
Xbox Music is coming to Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, that much we know. We also know that the Zune brand is dead. But whether the new service will be a simple rebadge or an entirely new beast remains a mystery. Bloomberg has it on good authority, however, that that Xbox Music will more than just a new face. Microsoft is allegedly combining all the most successful elements of its competitors -- streaming, online storage, and offline syncing -- into a product that will put iTunes, Spotify and Google Play squarely in its crosshairs. The company is allegedly in talks with the record labels to secure the necessary rights for a monthly subscription service and a market for purchasing tracks. It will also take a page from Google Music and allow customers to upload their own collections. If Microsoft can pull off a such a comprehensive service others in the field better watch out -- few companies have the reach or budget of Redmond.