Map Of Zunes

I don’t care what cool things Zune HD and the newest software does for us… Not now… I just discovered the #1, the tip top, the absolute best new thing that has come in years. A reminder.

I can’t tell you how many songs I’ve pissed away since I only sync 2-3 times a month… Thanks Zune Team. This means more than you can imagine.

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Early this morning the Zune PC software update went live, Zune HD hit the street and Zune.net got some cool new features. We can't wait for you to get the chance to download the new software, get your hands on a Zune HD and give Zune Pass a spin. Let me give you a quick pass at what's new.

Zune HD

First off, we have a beautiful new piece of hardware with the Zune HD. It features an 3.3 inch OLED touch screen and is available in 16 gb black and 32gb platinum.  You can also visit ZuneOriginals.net to order a Zune HD in green, blue or red in addition to black and platinum, in either of the capacities. You can also choose to customize a new Zune with laser engraved artist designs or Xbox game titles.

The new player can output 720p video files to an HD TV via the Zune HD dock thanks in large part to the onboard NVIDIA Tegra HD processor. It includes HD Radio receiver as well, which makes your favorite local radio stations sound better and allows you to tune into parallel digital signals. Here in Seattle one of our local NPR radio stations uses one of the signals to broadcast the BBC. Cool!

On the software side of Zune HD we have an alternative menu scheme called Quickplay. This new interface is designed to connect you with your favorite and most relevant content within one touch. It neatly organizes your "pins" (think of favorites), recent history and newly added music, pictures, videos, podcasts, etc. As a Zune Pass person I personally have been using the new section the most. I go through music quick, so it is nice to have new stuff right at the front of the player when it turn it on.

We also added an internet browser to the Zune HD so you can update status on the fly. There is lots more good stuff in the Zune HD, go check one out. As for existing Zune devices, they will get a light firmware update for integration with the new PC software. This is a major update from a hardware standpoint, so many of the device features like HD radio, apps, Quickplay and movie rentals are exclusive to Zune HD. Existing Zune devices will be able integrate seemlessly with the new Zune PC software, including the ability to sync and play purchased movie content.

PC software

The Quickplay menu is the new starting point on the PC software side of the things as well and includes thesame categories as on the Zune HD; pins, history and new.  We have big new feature you will find on that screen called Smart DJ. Pick an artist and the Zune software will create a playlist based on that choice, pulling music from your collection and the Zune Marketplace. If you have a Zune Pass you get ultimate playlist, music you already have plus music you might not have ever heard. Without a Zune Pass you get a custom playlist based off your local collection, but can still see the recommendations from the Zune Marketplace, they just won't play.(we wanted to give folks a look at the music discovery benefits a Zune Pass can provide). Everyone can give this feature a test drive today by signing up for the free 14-day Zune Pass trial. You can start a Smart DJ playlist from any track, album or artist in your collection and from artist pages in the Zune marketplace. Movies are now available  in the Zune Marketplace today for both rental and purchase. There’s a pretty solid selection of both SD and HD content, but we are not stopping there. We will continue to add new titles to the catalog over the coming year.

Zune.net

On Zune.net we will feature one of the largest streaming audio and video podcast catalogs online. Now you can browse and play any podcast (i.e., inlcuding video podcasts) from our library straight from a browser that supports Silverlight. In addition to podcasts we are releasing streaming music via Zune Pass through the browser as well! You can flip through the music catalog online play music, build a queue or even fire off a Smart DJ playlist right from Zune.net. Streaming Zune music on your PC without the software! This is great for folks that might be stuck at work, unable to download the Zune software. Now, just stream music straight from the browser.

There is so much more in each but I will leave that up to you to explore. Plus we will continue to drill into specific features over the coming weeks to make sure you get the most from Zune.

Have fun!

The other day a Zune ad popped up that said it would cost $30k to fill up an iPod. Well, it has taken it's brunt of abuse, but it's pretty good really. Head over to GotZune and watch it if you haven't yet.

Well, Penny Arcade takes a stab at the Zune Pass concept using Microsoft's ad as the inspiration... 
Well, the ad has a point, but what they are forgetting is that it would take about 167 years to rack up a $30k bill paying $15 a month for the Zune Pass service. And, it fails to mention the 10 free songs per month that you get with Zune Pass. Let's say you pick 10 songs that iTunes users pay $1.29 for... Well, that would mean the Zune Pass guy paid $2.00 more for the same amount of owned music in a month, but the Zune Pass guy gets 1000's of "Rented Music" too. Until Apple jumps on the "Zune Pass" concept themselves, the only thing they have going for them is the hardware that many love.

Yes, I do realize that not many people are actually going to fill their iPods with $30k worth of iTunes music, but still. I know that there is still a ton of stealing happening out there. I realize that many have massive CD collections that they ripped themselves. I can buy that, but the concept of the Zune Pass advertising is quite right. Me, I have been "Renting" my music since the Yahoo Music Service in the early 2000s.

Source: Penny Arcade via Gizmodo

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Unlike the vast majority of my co-workers here at Zune, I don't play an instrument. I'm not fronting any band, and the closest I come to performing is playing Rock Band or Lips on my Xbox.

However, I've got a musical kid - and his taste varies from mine pretty dramatically. "Mom, do we have to listen to dance music?" is a frequent whine heard in my car.

So last week, the boy gave me a list of what he'd like me to download for him. Check it out - pretty much I think it's the funniest thing ever. I almost said I wouldn't download anything he didn't spell correctly, but then I decided that would be too cruel.

By the way, he's eight years old. And how does he use his white Zune 30? He's got big Skull Candy headphones and he puts on AC/DC or Black Sabbath and plays along with the music on his drum kit and guitar (um, not at the same time).

And of course, he drowns out my music (and voice) in the car.

Things to note in the picture: "Nervana." "Hendrex." "Zeplen." And, among other spelling errors, the extraneous apostrophe in "Gun's and Roses" (not to mention it's not "and," it's "'n"). But check out the awesome AC/DC, complete with lightning bolt. Too bad I had to buy CDs to get him that content, as it's not available digitally today

Welcome to episode 14 (video) of the Zune Insider Podcast co-hosted by Cesar Menendez and Rob Greenlee. This video episode was recorded the Zune building on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, WA.

Topics covered this week include: The launch of the New Zune music subscription pass that includes 10 keeper tracks every month, New 3.1 Zune software and device firmware update, we play the new national ad spot with "Common" featuring MixView (2:37), New TV Networks launch in Marketplace Video store, we also play episode 1 out of 3 from The Green Room that features the Lead singer from the music group "Fratellies" (7:30).

We also discuss your emails and  blog comments. Visit Zune.net (18:31 min).

Upgrade Your Zune Software podcast subscribers switch your podcast subscription to the Zune Insider podcast feed,

Download the (163 MB MP4 h.264) video file directly here - Direct RSS feed - Zune Subscribe

As you've no doubt have read, we made some exciting enhancements to the already-solid Zune Pass: you can now keep 10 tracks. So that begs the question: what tracks are you keeping. Hence, this quickpoll.

Just list the tracks you've decided to keep with your Zune Pass, if you have one. I'll start:

This month, I downloaded the 10 tracks in Sea Wolf's first full-length record, Leaves in the River. My favorite track "You're a Wolf."

And what about you dear reader? Leave a comment with your 10 Picks!

Since the launch of the new Zune Pass, I've gotten a few questions from folks. For a quick how-to, be sure to check out the screenshot tutorial over at Inside the Circle. And Harv from 'rama did a great job in summarizing these - I ran his list by the product team and here's what I got:

1. What’s the catch here?
No catch. You get everything you always got with your Zune Pass (i.e. unlimited access to Marketplace subscription tracks, for as long as you maintain your subscription), plus your choice of 10 tracks to keep every month.

2. If I don’t download my ten tracks this month, can I download twenty next month? In other words, do the ten free downloads carry over from month to month?
No, there is no rollover of the ten downloads from one month to the next. Download your selected ten tracks each month; next month you’ll be able to download ten more.

3. Is the ‘free downloads’ offer retroactive from when I started my Zune Pass?
No, it starts now. Each month from this month forward, you get ten free downloads. And if you are a current subscriber, you get all your 10 tracks immediately regardless of your renewal date. Cool!

4. How do I download the ten free tracks?
Right-click on the track you want, and select ‘buy’ or ‘add to cart’. If you have a Zune Pass, each month you will have a ten-item credit in your account to use for this.

5. Are the free tracks in WMA or in MP3 format?
That depends on the song. About 90% of Marketplace tracks will soon be available in DRM-free MP3 format. So chances are you’ll be getting a drm-free mp3

6. Can I burn the downloaded tracks to CD?
Yes! You can burn them, just like you can with any other purchased content. The downloaded track works just like one that you purchased from Zune marketplace: you can burn it, sync it to your Zune, or more

7. I sync my Zune Pass tracks to several players and PCs. How many free downloads do I get?
You get ten free downloads per account. Having several Zune players and PCs tied to that account doesn’t affect the number of downloads that you get.

8. How much does a Zune Pass cost?
No change here: it’s still $14.99 per month. For that you get access to all Zune Marketplace subscription tracks, and your ten free keep-it-forever download tracks

9. How do I get a Zune Pass? Can I get a free trial of it?
You can sign up for a Zune Pass here. You can also get a 14-day free trial.

10. When does my 1-month start? On the first, or the day I first signed up with my zunepass?
On the first day of signing up for your Zunepass

Ok - happy downloading!

<Edited 11/21 - changed 90% info - thanks Paul!>

Here are answers to commonly-asked questions about the new Zune Pass subscription model, which became available at 11pm Pacific last night. With this enhancement, you not only get subscription access to tracks from Zune Marketplace - you also get ten tracks per month, for keeps!

1. What’s the catch here?

There doesn’t seem to be a catch. You get everything you always got with your Zune Pass (i.e. unlimited access to Marketplace subscription tracks, for as long as you maintain your subscription), plus your choice of tracks to keep every month.

2. If I don’t download my ten tracks this month, can I download twenty next month? In other words, do the ten free downloads carry over from month to month?

No, there is no rollover of the ten downloads from one month to the next. Download your selected ten tracks each month; next month you’ll be able to download ten more.

3. Is the ‘free downloads’ offer retroactive from when I started my Zune Pass?

No, it starts now. Each month from this month forward, you get ten free downloads.

4. How do I download the ten free tracks?

Right-click on the track you want, and select ‘buy’ or ‘add to cart’. If you have a Zune Pass, each month you will have a ten-item credit in your account to use for this.

5. Are the free tracks in WMA or in MP3 format?

You can download them in whatever formats are available in Zune Marketplace. (Right now, 90% of Marketplace tracks are available in both WMA and in MP3 format.)

6. Can I burn the downloaded tracks to CD?

Yes! You can burn them, just like you can with any other purchased content. See the Zune terms of service for details - there are some limits to how many times you can burn a particular playlist, for example.

7. I sync my Zune Pass tracks to several players and PCs. How many free downloads do I get?

You get ten free downloads per account. Having several Zune players and PCs tied to that account doesn’t affect the number of downloads that you get.

8. Are the downloaded songs DRM-free?

The MP3 versions are DRM-free. The WMA versions have DRM controls and may not sync to non-Zune players.

9. How much does a Zune Pass cost?

No change here: it’s still $14.99 per month. For that you get access to all Zune Marketplace subscription tracks, and your ten free keep-it-forever download tracks.

10. How do I get a Zune Pass? Can I get a free trial of it?

You can sign up for a Zune Pass here. You can also get a 14-day free trial.

Got other questions? Got answers? Join our discussion about the new Zune Pass!

Comments

I've already been singing the praises of Zune Pass for two years now. I loved Yahoo's all you can eat downloads and I really love Zune Pass. Now it's even better. You can "own" 10 songs per month with Zune Pass. Basically, your $15/mo is buying 10 songs now, but an added bonus... you can download all the DRM content you want too. Nice.

Effective Thursday, the software company's modified subscription plan would allow owners of Zune to keep 10 tracks per month, which has an estimated value of $10. The users can also add those tracks to their permanent collection.

The company said agreements have been signed with the big four music labels -- EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group -- and also with a few independent distributors.

Source : Rueters via Email Tip from Robert (GotZune Reader). Thanks Robert.

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 The week just keep getting better for Zune owners: today we’re announcing some amazing enhancements for Zune Pass

Starting today at about 11:00PM pacific time, everyone with a Zune Pass gets to keep 10 tracks from Zune Marketplace each month. These 10 tracks will be yours to keep, forever. Each month that you keep your Zune Pass current, you’ll get another 10 tracks credited to your account.  All this for the same price as your Zune Pass today: 14.99/month, or about the price of one CD per month. So each month as you discover and download new music in Zune Marketplace, you’ll be able to keep 10 of your favorite tracks. One quick note: there is no roll-over, so make sure you collect your 10 tracks each month.

Which brings up the second bit of good news: now approximately (90%) of the 4+ million tracks in Zune Marketplace are available as DRM-free MP3s. We’ve got MP3s from , Sony BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group, as well as indie distributors IODA and The Orchard.

And to help you decide which of the millions of tracks to keep, the Zune Marketplace team now offers a collection called “perfect 10s” – 10 must-have tracks in each of the most popular genres. And each week, you’ll see “fresh picks” – ten tracks from the best new releases each week.