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    Microsoft drops price of Zune Music Pass for U.S. customers, rolls out services to Canada

    Microsoft drops price of Zune Music Pass for U.S. customers, rolls out services to Canada

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    Microsoft has announced a competitive price cut for the Zune Music Pass in the US, and a full music services rollout into Canada.

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    Zune Music Pass Service
    Zune Music Pass Service

    Facebook just made subscription music services hotter than ever, but notably absent from the mix last week was Microsoft's Zune Music Pass. Redmond's not standing still though — it just announced a competitive price cut for their subscription service in the US, and a full music rollout into Canada. The new Zune Music Pass will run $9.99 a month, bringing it more in line with rivals Spotify and Rdio, which both offer fully-loaded packages at the same price. It's a considerable drop from the current $14.99 ask, and Microsoft is sweetening the deal with music video streaming to the PC — Xbox 360 availability is promised for this fall. It's not all upside however: users will only be able to play their tracks on four devices, down from six, and the 10 free permanent downloads bundled every month are being nixed altogether. Don't fret if you don't like the new terms, though — active subscribers will be able to hold on to their current plan.

    Canadian music fans also have cause to celebrate as they'll be getting their hands on the new Music Pass alongside the purchase-only Zune Music Marketplace. It's been a long time coming: Zune players were initially launched in Canada way back in 2008, and last year Windows Phone 7 brought another class of devices dependent on the Zune Music ecosystem. Pricing will match the US service, with a yearly subscription available in both countries for $99.90. The changes are set to roll October 3rd.