Last night, Microsoft (MSFT +0.66%) posted on its blog that its streaming music service, Xbox Music, is now available as an app for iOS and Android devices. The new music streaming apps come just days before the scheduled Apple launch of iTunes Radio. In addition to the new music apps, Microsoft also said unlimited Xbox Music streaming is now available for free to all Web users.
The company said in a blog post, "Xbox Music is coming up on its one-year anniversary and we've learned a lot in that time. Xbox Music is now, more than ever, a service that spans across all kinds of devices-- phones, tablets, PCs and TVs -- and unites artists with their fans through one common platform."
Microsoft said it will add an offline listening mode to iOS and Android in the coming months, which would put it in direct competition with Spotify.
Microsoft said additional Xbox Music features are coming, including a playlist function that will scrape Web pages for bands and artists and then create a custom playlist of their music. The Web playlist app will be available on Windows 8.1, when it releases on Oct. 18. The company also plans to launch artist-based radio stations, similar to Pandora, later this year.
The Xbox Music apps are available for download today from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
