Xbox Music, Microsoft’s spiritual successor to Zune marketplace and its current foray into the streaming music subscription market, is going to launch with Windows 8 next month. But some leaked screenshots obtained by Engadget already show the two most important things about the service: its UI and how much it’s going to cost. According to the screenshots, a one month subscription will cost £8.99, which will probably work out to around $15 per month in the United States. There’s also a year-long subscription, which will cost £89.90–so it offers 12 months of service for ten months of price, similar to Xbox Live pricing.
The service is visually similar to Microsoft’s recent products: it features the tiled screen and large typography that we’ve come to expect from Windows Phone, and the keyboard is a dead ringer for Microsoft’s other virtual keyboards. It’s a logical step in what Microsoft’s been doing lately: multiple devices with an integrated feel and services. According to an on-screen description, when a subscriber, you’ll be able to play Xbox Music Pass on your Xbox, your Windows PC, or Windows Phone. Seems like a pretty great deal, and although many are loyal to Spotify, having streaming music built into your operating system could be pretty nice.
Check out the rest of the screenshots at Engadget.
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