Microsoft adds 1-million DRM-free tracks to Zune Marketplace

by Brad Linder Oct 3rd 2007

Microsoft announced some updates to its Zune media player lineup this week, with new smaller, flash memory based Zunes coming soon. But we're much more excited about the software updates.

Microsoft has revamped both the Zune firmware and the Zune Desktop software. Perhaps the most impressive thing is that if you've got a current generation Zune, you'll be able to upgrade your firmware to get all the new features. Really, that's shouldn't be so impressive, but considering Apple wants you to buy a new iPod every year, it does kind of make the Zune slightly more attractive than it had been.

So what's new?

The Zune Marketplace is adding over a million DRM-free MP3 tracks. This from the company that practically (but not really) invented DRM.
Podcasts and music videos are being added to the Zune Marketplace
You no longer have to listen to shared music within three days. But you can still only listen to a shared track three times before it self-destructs.
You can share videos and photos with other users, not just music
Support for additional codecs including h.264 and MPEG-4
Automatically import recorded TV shows from Windows MEdia Center
Microsoft is launching a social network called Zune Social
Microsoft is launching web widgets called Zune Cards that let other users see your music selections
You can share music that someone else shared with you

While Apple is busy pushing out iPod updates that make your (admittedly hacked) devices less useful, Microsoft is actually releasing updates that make the Zune better. Suddenly that brown media player doesn't look so silly, does it? Oh, right, Microsoft is killing the brown version.

Tags: firmware, marketplace, music, zune

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

billychaos said 3:33PM on 10-03-2007

Finally, Thank you Microsoft. I knew you could do it. People trashed the Zune but I knew to give them time. This is the company that brought us Xbox Live.

Jon said 3:47PM on 10-03-2007

Wow. I've been an "iPod guy" for years now, but this will definitely change that from being automatic in the future. DRM free is an absolute "killer app" for me. That and podcasts are a must have feature for me so this is great news.
Even as an "iPod guy", I've always refused to buy DRM'd songs from apple. No way am I getting stuck with hundreds of dollars of music that I can no longer listen to just becuase I didn't buy an iPod this year.

Jon said 3:49PM on 10-03-2007

I really hope Microsoft sticks this thing out (which it appears they will). If they can gain any kind of significant market share in this sector, maybe that will finally force apple to get their act together and start opening up a little.

Jon said 3:59PM on 10-03-2007

This is awesome news. When's the last time apple gave us anything new on the iPod/iPhone that wasn't just to make them more money? The iTunes wifi DRM store can suck it!

Mark said 9:28PM on 10-03-2007

just bring it to canada! i mean is it so hard? i'm barely 100km north of buffalo. it's really not that far.

Joshua said 9:03AM on 10-04-2007

Are those tracks part of the EMI catalog? If they are, then I'm better off sticking with iTunes or the new Amazonmp3 service. If they aren't, I'd like to know how to acquire them for the Mac.

Brent said 9:04AM on 10-04-2007

"Adding 1million DRM-free songs" I didn't read the other blogs statements like this. Think gizmodo stated that there would be 1 million downloadable songs on the marketplace with ZunePass. this would be less than the supposed 2 million currently on it.

Could you clarify for me (us)?

jrb said 9:05AM on 10-04-2007

all this news is good. But when are the updates to the zune software, and zune hardware firmware being pushed out?

there's no sign of them here.

MattR said 9:05AM on 10-04-2007

Clearly Microsoft are in this for the long haul, the new Zunes look competitive and they seem to have rewarded early adopters by making the features backwards compatible...

Excellent moves all round!

scififan9009 said 9:06AM on 10-04-2007

Nice how you shamelessly link to the Gizmodo article with the anchor text of "upgrade your firmware to get all the new features." Yet I've been waiting since yesterday and coaxing my Zune to get the updated firmware with no success. So how exactly do you update your current model Zune? Because neither your article nor the article you linked to contains any information on how to do this, even though you are making it seem like it does.

Brad Linder said 9:17AM on 10-04-2007

jrb: Engadget reports that Amazon has leaked the launch date for the new Zune hardware as Nov 13th. We assume the software updates will be available either at the same time or sooner.

scififan9009: The reason you can't update your software is because the updates aren't available yet. We reported on the news as soon as Microsoft made the announcement. Unfortunately, Microsoft didn't give us a date. As I mentioned, 11/13 may be the magic number, but we're not sure yet.

Also, FYI a link to Gizmodo is never shameless. Download Squad is part of the Weblogs Inc family, which means we're owned by the same group as Engadget. Gizmodo is a competing blog. We linked to them in this case because that's where we first read this information and we believe in giving credit where it's due.

sarah said 1:14PM on 10-04-2007

Anyone know if they're doing anything new with FM radio?

Robert McGeorge said 8:20AM on 12-07-2007

The best thing about this is that you do not have to pay for the video or music if you use it on your Zune.....If you do the monthly subscription to Zune Market Place then 99% of the songs/Albums are free to listen to as long as you keep your Zune market Place membership up....If you want to buy the music then it is yours to burn on a CD too.

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