First published on October 2, 2017. Revised on June 1, 2018, upon announcement of the discontinuation of the Groove Music iOS and Android apps.
On October 2, 2017, we announced that we'd be partnering with Spotify to bring the world’s largest music streaming service to you. We know that access to the best streaming experience, the largest catalog of music, and a variety of subscriptions are top of your list.
On January 1, 2018, the Groove Music Pass streaming service was discontinued. If your Pass subscription went beyond December 31, 2017, we will give you (or already gave you) a prorated refund or a Microsoft gift card (see timing details below). We’ll continue to update the Windows 10 Groove Music app for PC, Xbox, and Windows Phone so you can play and manage the music you’ve purchased and downloaded to these devices, but the app will no longer stream or play Groove Music Pass content.
What happened to the Groove Music Pass?
- Spotify free: Spotify Premium: Access to over 50 million songs Access to podcasts and audiobooks Travel abroad with your music: For up to 14 days. Pick and play any track on mobile: Available on select playlists. No ad interruptions Listen without an internet connection Highest music quality.
- Available for: Spotify Free and Spotify Premium. VLC Player is a media player with a built-in music visualizer. You can enjoy more than 6 music visualizers when playing Spotify music. Apart from this, you can catch sight of the title of music at the beginning of the music playing. Features of VLC Player.
The Groove Music Pass streaming service was discontinued on January 1, 2018. The Windows 10 Groove Music apps for PC and Windows Phone will continue to play all the music you’ve purchased and downloaded but will no longer stream or play any Groove Music Pass content.
What's happening to the Groove Music app?
We’ll continue to update the Windows 10 Groove Music apps for PC, Xbox, and Windows Phone so you can play your purchased music. On December 31, 2017, the option to stream, purchase, and download music from Groove Music was discontinued. If your purchased music was downloaded, you’ll still be able to listen to it.
What was Groove Music Pass content?
Visit the Microsoft Store to download. Bring your music to mobile and tablet, too. Listening on your phone or tablet is free, easy, and fun. One account, listen everywhere.
Groove Music Pass content was music and music videos that could be streamed or downloaded during your Groove Music Pass subscription. The Music Pass provided you with a streaming service of songs you didn’t need to own locally to play, as well as editorial playlist recommendations and the ability to create your own playlists.
I pre-paid for an annual Groove Music Pass. What were my options?
Your recurring annual Groove Music Pass continued through December 31, 2017. If your Pass subscription extended beyond December 31, 2017, then by February 1, 2018, Microsoft gave you a prorated refund from December 31, 2017 onwards (if we were able to issue a refund to your credit card/payment instrument on file). If we were unable to refund your payment instrument on file, Microsoft provided 120% of that prorated amount in a Microsoft gift card in your Microsoft account to spend at the Microsoft Store.
If you canceled your annual Groove Music Pass subscription before December 31, 2017, then:
If you canceled your subscription within 30 days of the start of your subscription, we gave you a full refund if we have your credit card/payment instrument information and it supports refunds. If we couldn’t refund your payment instrument on file, we provided 120% of that amount in Microsoft gift card value.
If you canceled your subscription after 30 days from the start of your subscription, we gave you a prorated refund (if we could issue a refund to your credit card/payment instrument on file). If we couldn’t refund your payment instrument on file, Microsoft provided 120% of that prorated amount in Store credit.
I was a monthly Groove Music Pass subscriber. What were my options?
If your subscription extended beyond December 31, 2017, then by February 1, 2018, Microsoft provided you with a prorated refund from December 31, 2017 onwards (if we could issue a refund to your credit card/payment instrument on file). If your payment instrument on file didn't support refunds, Microsoft provided 120% of that prorated amount in a Microsoft gift card.
I bought a Groove Music Pass and haven’t redeemed it. What are my options?
As of October 2, 2017, you can no longer redeem your Groove Music Pass. Microsoft will offer 120% of the value of your unused pre-paid Groove Music Pass as store credit to spend at the Microsoft Store. This offer is valid until December 31, 2018. If you haven’t redeemed your pass yet and want to get your credit, contact customer support.
I was a Groove Music Pass subscriber. Will my subscription automatically transfer to Spotify?
No. If you want access to tens of millions of streaming songs at no cost, you can try Spotify anytime with Spotify’s free offering.
I got my Groove Music Pass as part of a promotional offer. Am I eligible for a refund?
No. If you got your Groove Music Pass for free, and it didn’t come as part of another Microsoft purchase, you don’t qualify for a refund.
Will I still be able to play music I downloaded with Music Pass?
No. As of December 31, 2017, all Groove Music Pass content is unplayable, including streaming music, downloaded tracks, and music videos.
Will I still be able to play music I purchased from the Microsoft Store?
If you downloaded your purchased music to your devices before December 31, 2017, you’ll be able to play it through the Windows 10 Groove apps for PC, Xbox, and Windows Phone. Get more info about playing your music on iOS and Android devices. As of December 31, 2017, music isn't available for purchase or download in the Microsoft Store or for streaming in Groove.
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Can I still download all my purchased music?
No. When Microsoft announced the discontinuation of the Groove Music Pass streaming service on October 2, 2017, we notified customers that purchased music would be available to download until December 31, 2017. Unfortunately, that window has now passed. If you've already downloaded your music, you can listen to it on your PC with the Windows 10 Groove apps for PC, Xbox, and Windows Phone. You can also transfer your purchased music from one of your devices to another device for your own personal, non-commercial use.
What happened to my purchased music if I didn't download it?
When Microsoft announced the discontinuation of the Groove Music Pass streaming service on October 2, 2017, we notified customers that music would be available to download until December 31, 2017. Unfortunately, that window has now passed. If you've already downloaded your music, you can listen to it on your PC with the Windows 10 Groove apps for PC, Xbox, and Windows Phone. You can also transfer your downloaded purchased music from one of your devices to another device for your own personal, non-commercial use.
Will I still be able to play my local music files?
Yes. Local files will still be playable with the Windows 10 Groove Music apps for PC and Windows Phone.
Will I still be able to play music from OneDrive?
No. On March 31, 2019, OneDrive music streaming in Groove Music will be retired. Get more info about OneDrive music streaming in Groove Music.
I wasn't a Groove Music Pass subscriber. How does this affect me?
Nothing has changed for you. You can continue to play your local, or purchased content that you have downloaded through the Windows 10 Groove Music apps for PC, Xbox, and Windows Phone. If you want access to tens of millions of streaming songs at no cost, you can try Spotify anytime with Spotify’s free offering.
Can I still move my music to Spotify?
No. When Microsoft announced the discontinuation of the Groove Music Pass streaming service on October 2, 2017, we notified customers that Groove Music Pass content would be available to move to Spotify until January 31, 2018. Unfortunately, that window has now passed.
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What happened to my music after I moved it to Spotify?
All the music that had a match in Spotify’s catalog now appears in your Spotify library and playlists. All your purchased or uploaded non-Groove Music Pass music will remain untouched in the Windows 10 and Xbox Groove Music apps. Music you own and that is stored locally on your hard drive or on OneDrive is untouched and will continue to be playable from your local hard drive through the Windows 10 and Xbox Groove Music apps.
When moving my music to Spotify, I was asked to give Groove access to some information. What did you ask for and why?
To effectively move your music to Spotify, there were five pieces of information we needed temporary access to. After moving your music to Spotify, all the data we accessed from Spotify was deleted.
'Access your subscription details' gave Groove access to your region so we could add the correct songs to your Spotify library, since song availability differs from region to region.
'Access your saved tracks and albums' let Groove see what was in your Spotify library at the time so we didn't add duplicate tracks or more tracks than the library can hold.
'Manage your saved tracks and albums' let Groove add tracks from your Groove collection to your Spotify library.
'Access your private playlists' let Groove see what tracks you already had in playlists in Spotify so we didn't add duplicates.
'Manage your private playlists' let Groove create and add songs to playlists in Spotify to replicate the playlists you created in Groove.
I can’t find all my music from Groove after moving my collection to Spotify. What happened to it?
We did our best to preserve your collection and playlists when moving, but there may have been some cases where we couldn’t find a matching song in Spotify’s collection. If you used a Windows 10 PC to move your music, we stored a list of the songs we were unable to move in a file on your computer named GrooveMigration.txt. The file is in your music library folder, which for most people is found at C:users[username]Music. Music you own and that is stored on your hard drive or OneDrive can still be played with the Windows 10 Groove Music app.
Did playlists I followed move to Spotify?
No. Playlists you created moved to Spotify, but playlists created by Groove didn't.
As a part of my Groove Music Pass subscription, I had additional OneDrive storage. What happened to that?
If OneDrive storage was included in your Groove Music Pass subscription, your storage was reduced to OneDrive’s standard free tier plan on December 31, 2017, unless you were contacted by Microsoft.
What did you do about the Groove Music Pass customers who are over their OneDrive free storage plan limit?
Microsoft followed up directly with the small number of Groove Music Pass customers in this situation and provided options to take care of their needs.
Does Spotify stream from OneDrive?
No. Spotify doesn’t stream music from OneDrive. Music you upload to your OneDrive music folder can still be downloaded to a PC for playback in the Windows 10 Groove Music app.
What’s happening to Groove Music on iOS and Android?
The Groove Music iOS and Android apps were removed from download from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store on June 1, 2018. They were retired on December 1, 2018. After that date the apps won’t work and should be uninstalled. Get more info about the Groove Music apps for iOS and Android.
What other music streaming apps are available for Windows?
Depending on your region, there are many other streaming music apps in the Microsoft Store, including Pandora, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Deezer, TuneIn Radio, and SiriusXM.
The music giant is to music what Netflix is to TV and, unless you’re very discerning (or very unlucky), you’ll find a great selection of your favorite music (and more) in a very easy-to-use app. Add that to the fact that Spotify's available almost anywhere you go and it’s no wonder that it tops the charts when it comes to music.
The top choice when it comes to streaming music
For everyone except an unlucky few, Spotify is all the music you’ll need.
Spotify is one of the most popular music apps around, and it’s not at all difficult to see why. Firstly, it’s hugely accessible. There is a version of Spotify available for almost every platform you could think of using and this is a large part of its likability. This version for Windows is exactly the type of flagship app you’d expect - it’s crisp-looking, fast, and easy-to-use and, although music quality depends largely on the quality of the device you’re reproducing it on (and not the app you’re using to play it), only the pickiest ears will have anything to say about the quality of the music you can listen to with Spotify.
The most basic level of Spotify is free, which is why it really is “music for everyone”. You can also sign up to Spotify Premium by paying a monthly fee. On the premium tier, the user experience is just a little bit nicer, with the ability to download music (great for planes), skip songs you don’t like and, many people’s favorite plus - you don’t have to listen to the ads.
Premium or not, the app is very easy to use. The main interface shows you a selection of things you’ve been listening to recently, or music Spotify has decided you’ll probably enjoy. Your library and playlists live on the left, and to the top on the left, you’ll see the Home, Browse, and Radio buttons. Browse is a nice feature for the undecided, as it’s a great way to find new music and artists. Radio is where you’ll want to go if you want music to play without having to make too much of an effort - pick an artist or music type, and it will find music related to it and play until you tell it not to.
Spotify’s charms don’t end with traditional music and their version of radio, however. By using Search and Browse, you’ll also be able to find podcasts, charts, new releases, and even upcoming concerts in your area, as well as being able to find music by mood or purpose, like studying or exercising.
Spotify’s settings are relatively simple and it’s here that some users do have complaints. When you head into the settings area, most of the things you can tweak are pretty simple or have nothing to do with music playback or quality. The number of tweaks you can actually make to the music is pretty low (you can add crossfade and change the streaming quality but beyond this, you have relatively little control over the music. For most, this lower degree of control is actually enough but, for a few, it’s unfortunately too little.
Spotify doesn’t often go wrong but when it does the support team is usually fast to react. You’ll also find an acceptable amount of help online but you’re unlikely to need to do much troubleshooting yourself.
Microsoft Free Spotify Downloads
Where can you run this program?
This version is for Windows. There are also versions for other platforms, like Android, iPhone, and Mac.
Is there a better alternative?
There are certainly alternatives to Spotify, but whether or not they’re better is really subjective. YouTube Music is slated to start making waves in the streaming music market soon, but we still haven’t seen what it’s capable of doing. Google Play Music and Apple Music are contrasting giants; the former is nice if you have a lot of your own music, and the latter is ok only if you’re happy to use iTunes, as you need it for Apple’s streaming service. Deezer and Wave are also on the market, but they haven’t even begun to challenge Spotify’s reign.
Our take
For many, many people, Spotify provides music they want, works wherever they are, is easy to use and much more. If you’re an average music user, you know your favorites are on the platform, and you want your music solution to 'just work', then Spotify is the one for you. Some people are unlucky and find that their absolute favorites haven’t reached an agreement with Spotify and, as a result, aren’t in the catalog, which is a real shame. Others dislike the fact that the music you’re listening to is never yours (in which case, streaming music isn’t for them). Others believe that streaming music is (possibly) damaging artists, given that revenues are not as high as before when people bought albums. If any of these are pricking your conscience, then you might want to look elsewhere. For the rest though, Spotify is all you need.
Should you download it?
If you have average music needs and your favorite artists are available, download Spotify. If you have your own music, want greater control over playback, or just don’t like the idea of streaming, look for another music-listening option.
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