Microsoft to launch Spotify rival this month

Enough to make Daniel Ek and co quake in their Suitopia suits: Microsoft are launching their own streaming music service, and it could be out as early as this month. From the Telegraph:

Peter Bale, executive producer of MSN, Microsoft’s news and entertainment portal, told The Telegraph exclusively: “Music is an important area for Microsoft. We are looking at launching a music streaming service imminently.

“It will be a similar principle to Spotify but we are still examining how the business model will work.”

Spotify users can stream music for free in exchange for listening to around a minute of advertising every half hour but for £9.99 a month, the ads will be turned off. It is thought Microsoft’s offering will be ad-supported too as well as having a paid-for premium service.

Mr Bale added: “We are looking at how other similar businesses have structured their business models and trying to figure out what will work best for both consumer and Mircosoft.”

Interesting. Trust Microsoft to make something as exciting as streaming music sound so very dull.