On Thursday, Microsoft made several announcements regarding Xbox Music, including removing the need for a Pass subscription for mobiles.
With the latest mobile app updates, Android and iOS users of Microsoft's Xbox Music app no longer need to pay $9.99 a month on the company's Xbox Music Pass to access the service's key features. In March, Microsoft updated its Xbox Music service on Windows to play songs stored on OneDrive and now the company has added this support to its Android and iOS apps without the need for a subscription. Mobile users can also download the songs stored in OneDrive to make them available for offline use. Users will still need the Xbox Music Pass to use Xbox Music Radio, which creates custom stations based on your favorite artists. The iOS and Android app updates are available now on their respective mobile app stores.
Meanwhile, Microsoft announced that Xbox Music will be rebranded. Starting with Windows 10PCs, Xbox Music will be called Groove. "Groove describes what people feel and do with music, and is more intuitive for our Windows 10 customers on what they'll find with the app," explained Microsoft on the rebranding. Groove will work in light and dark themes when it launches with the new OS later this month and will feature easy-to-use menus and navigation controls. To stream music, users will need a Groove Music Pass which is available for $9.99 per month or $99 per year. Existing Xbox Music Pass subscriptions will become Groove Music Passes when the renaming becomes official.