Microsoft Rebrands Xbox Music To Groove Ahead Of Windows 10 Launch
Xbox Music will receive more than just a name change. Groove will have an updated user interface and better support for keyboard, mouse, and touch navigation. On the touch side of things, the app will let you pinch to zoom and drag your finger to pull tracks into playlists. Microsoft also added customizable themes so you won’t have to muddle through life with a music app that doesn’t match your style.
More importantly, Groove has OneDrive integration. The app will play whatever MP3s you have one OneDrive, even if they are iTunes purchases. You’ll be able to play your OneDrive music with Groove on any device that has Groove – and that will be most platforms, according to Microsoft. It plans to release Groove for Android and iOS down the road.
The Xbox Music Pass will become the Groove Music Pass, which will give you access to streaming, music downloads, and custom radio stations from the Windows Store, ad-free. The Groove Music Pass will go for $99 per year or $9.99 per month (which would come to $119.88 if you paid monthly for a year).
The Movies & TV app is also getting an updated interface, along with support for the Internet-friendly .MKV files. Like Groove, Movies & TV will have Windows Store Integration. You’ll be able to watch a movie on one device and then pick up where you left off on another device, just as you can with Amazon, Netflix, and other apps.
The Groove and Movies & TV apps will be in Windows 10 when it arrives July 29, but some of the apps for other devices will come later. Microsoft hasn’t released launch dates for the apps on Android and iPhone, but it’s a safe bet that Microsoft plans to get them out shortly after the dust settles from the Windows 10 launch.
