Zune Tunes

Posted on September 8, 2008

Starting next week, Microsoft’s Zune portable media player will allow owners to download wirelessly or stream millions of songs on the go from WiFi hot spots around the country. Free software and firmware updates will give the ability to discover, tag and purchase songs direct from the built-in FM radio. Zunes will also be able to wirelessly access the Zune Marketplace store and get personalized music recommendations that add even more value to the Zune Pass subscription.

Zune is also expanding its lineup with new 16GB and 120GB capacities as well as new color schemes. All of these new features will begin rolling out on Sept. 16.

Nealry 2/3 of people surveyed say they find new music by listening to the radio. With that in mind, Zune is taking advantage of the wireless connection and the built-in FM tuner to deliver a new feature called Buy from FM, which lets customers tag and purchase songs they hear on FM stations directly from their Zune. When the customer is in a Wi-Fi hot spot, the song can be immediately downloaded. If Wi-Fi is not available, the selected songs will be ready to download when connected to a home computer or in a hot spot.Many thought it was kind of silly for Microsoft to put an FM tuner in the Zune, thinking it made the device too retro and not forward thinking. If the new service pans out, then they knew exactly what they were doing.

Zune customers have a choice in how they purchase their music: They can pay per track or choose a Zune Pass. Subscribers to Zune Pass can download or stream music to the device or their computer interchangeably, for a flat rate of $14.99 per month. So whether a device has 4 GB or 120 GB of storage, Zune Pass customers can access and stream millions of songs directly to their Zune.