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Microsoft launches new Xbox music service

You've got to hand it to Microsoft: They don't give up easily. On Sunday the company announced its new Xbox Music service. In an effort to capture some of the marketplace dominated by iTunes and streaming services like Pandora and Spotify, Microsoft will launch Xbox Music on the Xbox 360 console tomorrow. The service will be available for PCs and tablet computers starting October 26 when Microsoft unveils Windows 8 and Windows RT. It's also expected to be available for the Windows 8 phone when that launches. 

Xbox Music, which will replace the old Zune service, is divided into three categories: free-tier streaming access to a 30 million-song catalog (18 million for the U.S.); an Xbox Music Pass subscription for $9.99 a month or $99.99 annually, which removes the ads; and the ability to purchase individual songs and albums. Future plans include a scan-and-match service that will identify the songs a consumer already owns (including those purchased through other music services) and deposit them in the user's Xbox Music cloud catalog. 

Can Microsoft shift the spotlight away from Apple or should they give up the music game? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below.