Microsoft will offer a cross-platform music streaming service codenamed “Woodstock”, The Verge reports. Woodstock will serve as a replacement for the Zune brand which is phased out eventually. Zune hardware is already dead, but the Zune software and the music service is still alive.
The new service “Woodstock” will continue Microsoft’s shift from Zune brand to a more popular Xbox brand. Microsoft will offer the sneak peak of Woodstock at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) 2012, but it won’t be released until later this year, perhaps it will be released along with Windows 8 OS.
The service is cross-platform and will be available to Windows, Android, iOS, and Xbox users. It can be played from a browser with out any need for browser plugins, this makes more sense because IE10 in Windows 8 won’t support plugins.
Other bits Verge report are it will be deeply integrated with Facebook allowing friends to build group playlists and share tracks. If these rumors are true we will know them at this year’s E3 in June.
[…] Microsoft is moving away from Zune to Xbox and the music service launched today is the rumored Woodstock service. The Xbox music service will be available on Xbox 360, Windows 8 devices and Windows Phone. […]