Zune, Microsoft
Corp.'s end-to-end music and entertainment service, again revolutionizes
how customers discover and connect to the music they love, where and how
they want it. Starting next week, every Zune portable media player will let
consumers wirelessly download or stream millions of songs on the go from
thousands of wireless hot spots around the country. Free, powerful software
and firmware updates will give Zune owners the ability to discover, tag and
purchase songs directly from the built-in FM radio, wirelessly access the
Zune Marketplace store on the go, and tap into interactive, personalized
music recommendations that add even more value to the Zune Pass
subscription. Zune is also expanding its device lineup with new 16GB and
120GB capacities as well as shiny new blue-on-silver and sleek all-black
color schemes. The new features will begin rolling out on Sept. 16, 2008.
"Digital music services really come alive when they help people find
not only the music they know they like, but the music they didn't know they
would love," said Chris Stephenson, general manager of Global Marketing for
Zune at Microsoft. "With the combination of subscription, wireless access
to millions of tracks, and powerful discovery features like personal
recommendations and the ability to buy music from FM radio, Zune is taking
the digital music experience to the next level."
Wireless Connections
More than 61 percent of people say they discover new music by listening
to the radio.(1) With that in mind, Zune is taking advantage of the
wireless connection and the built-in FM tuner to deliver a new feature
called Buy from FM, which lets customers tag and purchase songs they hear
on FM radio stations(2) directly from the Zune device. When the customer is
in a Wi-Fi hot spot, the song can be immediately downloaded to the Zune
device. If Wi-Fi is not available, the device will have a queue of songs
ready to download when connected to a home computer or in a hot spot. Buy
from FM uses Radio Data System and RT+ data feeds within the FM broadcast
frequencies that identify song and artist data and enable the Zune service
to identify and deliver the track to the customer.
In addition, users can now access the Zune Marketplace music store
directly from their device when they are in a recognized Wi-Fi hot spot, or
through a home wireless network. To make it easy to discover music on the
go, customers can browse lists of featured new releases and top songs and
albums sorted by genre, or use the on-screen keypad to type in the song of
their choice. Once they have picked a track or album, they can either
download it or stream it directly to the Zune device.
Zune customers have a choice in how they acquire music: They can pay
per track or choose a Zune Pass subscription. Zune Pass subscribers can
download or stream music to the device or their computer interchangeably,
all for a flat rate of $14.99 per month. So whether a device has 4 GB or
120 GB of storage, Zune Pass customers can access and stream millions of
songs directly to their Zune.
More Ways to Discover Music: Channels and Picks
The new Zune software update taps expert sources, recommendations from
the Zune service and online music community, and the user's own play data
to create a dynamic, digital music experience where discovering music is
easy and seamless.
- Channels. Channels are an exciting new tool for music discovery.
Customers can explore channels programmed by experts from the music
industry such as the Billboard Top 100, The FADER magazine and KEXP radio,
in addition to workout-themed channels tailored for high, medium and low
impact, and top chart channels from all genres and subgenres. The powerful
Zune software will even create custom channels for each user, based on
favorite artists and genres. Channels are included with a monthly Zune Pass
subscription and can be synced to the device for playback on the go. For
non-Zune Pass subscribers, the Channels are available for a la carte
purchase.
- Personal Picks. Now the Zune software learns what kind of music
users like and makes personal recommendations. When users log onto Zune
Marketplace, they'll find a new area called Picks where the Zune
recommendation algorithm will suggest artists, albums and tracks based on
the music they have been listening to, as well as channels they might like
and listeners like them in the Zune Social.
- The Zune Social online music community. Customers can connect with
millions of like-minded fans and share music via the Zune Card, a real-time
playlist of each user's favorite and recently played tracks that can be
accessed on the Web or within the Zune software, or synced to the Zune
device. Zune Pass subscribers can play full tracks from Zune Cards synced
to their device while on the go, and now the playlists will even
automatically update with the most recently played tracks when Zune
connects to a wireless hot spot. It's like subscribing to a free feed of
music from the sources people trust most -- their friends.
Powerful Software
The Zune PC software is a free download at http://www.zune.net that
provides rich discovery and media management capabilities to help consumers
make the most of their existing music collections, in addition to providing
access to the Zune Social and Zune Marketplace so they can add to it.
- Mixview. Customers can select an artist, album or Zune Card to
activate a dynamic, visual mosaic of related music and listeners. With each
click users can take the view in a new direction, creating a fun, graphical
way to discover new music. Mixview works with users' current collection of
music, in addition to tracks and albums from across the Zune Marketplace.
- Now Playing. The improved Now Playing view is more interactive and
cinematic. Users can sit back and enjoy the combination of great artist
imagery, colorful effects, bio information and data from the Zune online
music community, all combined in a full-screen view. They can also click to
dive deeper into the music behind the picture, providing another great way
to interact with their collection.
A new firmware update will also improve the experience on the Zune
device. In addition to the new wireless functionality, Zune will bring new
features customers have been asking for:
- Games on the go. Two free games, "Hexic" and "Texas Hold 'Em," will
keep users entertained on the go.
- Audiobooks. All Zune devices will feature support for audiobooks
this fall from industry leaders in the digital distribution of audiobook
content.
- Audible. Customers can visit audible.com to download and sync
favorite books from the 50,000 titles available from over 600 publishers
and content providers.
- OverDrive. They can download content from sites powered by
overdrive.com, including 7,500 libraries' Web sites worldwide.
Device Pricing Information Effective Sept. 16
- 120 GB: $249.99
- 80 GB: $229.99(3)
- 16 GB: $199.00
- 8 GB: $149.99
- 4 GB: $129.99(3)
Zune
Zune is Microsoft's music and entertainment brand that provides an
integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform includes a
line of portable digital media players, elegant software, the Zune
Marketplace online store, and the Zune Social online music community,
created to help people discover music. Zune is part of Microsoft's
Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company's
software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital
entertainment space.
Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.
(1) According to a Kelton Research study sponsored by Zune (April 2008)
(2) The song needs to be available in Zune Marketplace for consumers to
purchase it. If it is not available, but the radio station is broadcasting
the song's meta data, consumers can tag the song (so they can remember the
name and artist), but will not be able to purchase it.
(3) There are a limited number of 80GB and 4GB devices remaining in the
channel, and those that are will be available at this price.
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
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