Microsoft retires Groove Music, partners with Spotify

Microsoft has announced that it is retiring its online music streaming service, Groove Music, ending all the existing subscriptions alongside. Existing Groove Music subscribers are being encouraged to transfer their playlists and libraries to Spotify. Although, the company says that it will develop and update the Groove Music app for playing local and owned music but the music subscription capabilities will be removed from the app.

Existing Groove Music Pass subscribers will be able to migrate their playlists and collections to Spotify in-app updates that are going to become broadly available on October 9. Users will have until January 31, 2018, to migrate. Owned music bought from the store will also have to be downloaded (and backed up) by that date. After December 31, 2017, the Groove Music Pass streaming service will be discontinued.

Microsoft said in a blog post, "We're excited to announce that we are expanding our partnership with Spotify to bring the world's largest streaming service to our Groove Music Pass customers. Beginning this week, Groove Music Pass customers can move their curated playlists and collections directly into Spotify. Plus you will be eligible to get a free 60 day trial of Spotify."

This decision leaves Microsoft as the only major platform owner to not have its music streaming service(Apple has Apple Music, Google has Google Play Music and YouTube Red/YouTube Music, and Amazon has Amazon Music).

Here's how you can transition your music into Spotify:

a) Firstly, login to your Groove Music app from the Windows Store or Xbox One.

b) Then log into your Spotify account. If you are new to Spotify, you'll be asked few basic questions to help create a new account.

c) After signing into your Spotify account, Microsoft will move all your music collection from Groove Music to Spotify.

d) The process of moving your music playlists will be completed in a few minutes. After the process is completed, you'll be able to listen to your music library on Spotify.

Microsoft first launched its Xbox Music subscription service in 2012, and was initially focusing heavily on Xbox users as its target audience. In 2015, the company rebranded the service as Groove Music, hoping to broaden the service’s audience and also reach users on mobile platforms. However, Groove Music never really caught up to Spotify or Apple Music