Microsoft revamps Zune pass. Ten free tracks per month! | The Coffeehouse

Ray7

The price is staying the same, but now each month, you can pick up ten tracks that are yours forever and ever (amen).

I have no idea how MS managed to talk the record companies into this ....

ZuneInsider said:

Starting today at about 11:00PM pacific time, everyone with a Zune Pass gets to keep 10 tracks from Zune Marketplace each month. These 10 tracks will be yours to keep, forever. Each month that you keep your Zune Pass current, you’ll get another 10 tracks credited to your account. All this for the same price as your Zune Pass today: 14.99/month, or about the price of one CD per month. So each month as you discover and download new music in Zune Marketplace, you’ll be able to keep 10 of your favorite tracks. One quick note: there is no roll-over, so make sure you collect your 10 tracks each month.
Which brings up the second bit of good news: now approximately (90%) of the 4+ million tracks in Zune Marketplace are available as DRM-free MP3s. We’ve got MP3s from , Sony BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group, as well as indie distributors IODA and The Orchard.

And to help you decide which of the millions of tracks to keep, the Zune Marketplace team now offers a collection called “perfect 10s” – 10 must-have tracks in each of the most popular genres. And each week, you’ll see “fresh picks” – ten tracks from the best new releases each week.

Now, how about releasing this thing in the UK?

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

That's insane. And awesome. And North America only. Tongue Out

alwaysmc2
It's not stupid; It's advanced!

In reply to Bas

#Nov 20th, 2008 @ 12:36 AM

AWESOME! I have told my friends that that would be an amazing feature to add, but I never imagined that it actually would be! Big Smile

alwaysmc2
It's not stupid; It's advanced!

In reply to alwaysmc2

#Nov 20th, 2008 @ 9:14 AM

That's $10's worth of music to own and an unlimited access subscription for $15 a month. That's an amazing deal.

Lloyd_Humph
If Blackberrys are addictive cellphones, Channel9 is the ultimate addictive website.

In reply to alwaysmc2

#Nov 20th, 2008 @ 9:21 AM

Bring it to Euuuuurope!

CreamFilling512

Do the free tracks have any DRM or can you grab them as mp3s?

Bass
www.spreadfirefox.com/5years/

That's pretty cool. I think 15 would have been the sweet spot though for this to really take off. Smiley

PaoloM
Hypermediocrity

In reply to CreamFilling512

#Nov 20th, 2008 @ 6:06 PM

You can get the MP3 (if available).

DCMonkey
Monkey see, monkey do, monkey will destroy you!

In reply to PaoloM

#Nov 20th, 2008 @ 7:21 PM

Yeah, I noticed that after I blew my first 10 credits on DRMed tracks. Oh well, maybe next month I'll be more selective.

alwaysmc2
It's not stupid; It's advanced!

In reply to DCMonkey

#Nov 21st, 2008 @ 1:03 AM

I don't see credits listed anywhere. :-/

DCMonkey
Monkey see, monkey do, monkey will destroy you!

In reply to alwaysmc2

#Nov 21st, 2008 @ 8:34 AM

If you go to buy a track, the confirmation dialog will show "no charge" and list your remaining credits. They're also listed under Settings/Account.

PS: Annoyingly, if you already have the tracks in question in your collection, you have to go find them again in the marketplace to "buy" them.

alwaysmc2
It's not stupid; It's advanced!

In reply to DCMonkey

#Nov 21st, 2008 @ 10:34 AM

I tried it, and everything worked awesomely. I also documented the experience here.

magicalclick

That's so cool. Too bad I want a cell phone with Zune ability, not just a Zune.

Dovella
Go Microsoft !!!!!!!

@ Microsoft
Pls Zune in Europe PLS PLS PLS.

BitFlipper

In reply to Dovella

#Nov 22nd, 2008 @ 1:18 PM

Microsoft releases Zune in Europe. EC to investigate.

Maybe MS doesn't care to go through that crap anymore. Thank the EC for keeping you safe.

EDIT: Most likely that is not the main reason, but I am sure it figures somewhere into MS' equations when deciding to do anyhing in Europe.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to BitFlipper

#Nov 22nd, 2008 @ 3:58 PM

Yeah, I'm pretty sure they'd much rather exact some sort of revenge on the EU than actually make money there.

Ray7

Wasn't the Zune supposed to get a European release at the end of 2008 or something? Judging by how quiet it is, I'm guessing that's not going to happen.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to Ray7

#Nov 22nd, 2008 @ 9:32 PM

I thought it was supposed to be with the next hardware generation, sometime in 2009?

I doubt it, though. I'm guessing a UK release at best. Maybe France and Germany.

alwaysmc2
It's not stupid; It's advanced!

In reply to magicalclick

#Nov 22nd, 2008 @ 12:58 PM

apparently that's in the works.

Dovella
Go Microsoft !!!!!!!

In reply to Ray7

#Nov 22nd, 2008 @ 9:32 PM

probabily mid 2009

BitFlipper

In reply to Bas

#Nov 22nd, 2008 @ 6:27 PM

It has nothing to do with revenge. It has to do with the risk that anything they do over there can trigger yet another "investigation" as we have seen, and it is probably something MS keeps in mind. If someone/something gets to the level of judge/jury/executioner and they happen to hate you, there isn't much you can do, now is there?

Well, other than to jack up the prices over there to offset the fines, which I always thought was a brilliant idea. If the cost of doing business over there is higher than in other areas of the world, simply charge more.