The Microsoft Zune and Zune Music service — we hardly knew ye. Or, we hardly knew ye were even still running. But yes, it’s true… but no longer. Though it may seem so far in the past it’s hard to remember even jokes about getting a Zune instead of an iPod, the Microsoft media player and streaming service was still apparently being used by, at least, enough users to disappoint them with today’s sad news.
According to Billboard, Microsoft will be retiring its Zune Music service on Nov. 15. If you’ve paid for Zune Music Pass subscriptions (which, what?), that purchase will be transferred to a Groove Music Pass subscription, the new music service from Microsoft.
It seems only yesterday that we were making jokes about the Zune being the media player that nobody wanted, especially as smartphones grew into the No. 1 device for music listening. But with the death of the physical Zune in 2011, this discontinuation of Zune Music puts the final nail in the coffin for the star-crossed device.
“Is it something I did? Or maybe something I didn’t do?”
Don’t ask these questions, poor Zune. Sometimes, things just don’t work out. And you have to turn around and just walk away. RIP my friend. Smell ya later.
