Zune launch date and price confirmed by Microsoft in US

November and priced like an iPod

28 September 2006 18:00 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Microsoft has confirmed the price and launch date in the US for its new Zune MP3 player. Music fans keen to differentiate themselves from Apple's iPod and go with the Seattle software giant will be able to do so from 14 November priced at $249 in the US.

The price puts it at the price point to Apple's 30GB iPod but with the added benefit of being wireless.

The company has also said that a monthly subscription to its new music service would cost $14.99 or 79 points per track using Microsoft's point system which cost around $1.

The Zune will also come pre-loaded with a variety of songs and music videos as well as some "fun" films and images.

Audio tracks will be: Band of Horses, “Wicked Gil” (Sub Pop Records), Bitter:Sweet, “The Mating Game” (Quango Music Group), CSS, “Alala (Microsoft edit)” (Sub Pop Records), Darkel, “At The End of The Sky (edit)” (Astralwerks), Every Move a Picture, “Signs of Life” (V2), Small Sins, “Stay” (Astralwerks), The Adored, “Tell Me Tell Me” (V2), The Rakes, “Open Book” (V2), The Thermals, “A Pillar of Salt” (Sub Pop Records).

Music Video's will be: 30 Seconds to Mars, “The Kill” (Virgin Records), BT, “1.618” (DTS Entertainment), Chad VanGaalen, “Red Hot Drops” (Sub Pop Records), Coldcut featuring Roots Manuva, “True Skool” (Ninja Tune), CSS, “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above” (Sub Pop Records), Fruit Bats, “Live: The Wind That Blew My Heart Away” (Sub Pop Records), Grandaddy, “Elevate Myself” (V2), Hot Chip, “Over and Over” (Astralwerks Records), Kraak & Smaak featuring Dez., “Keep Me Home” (Quango Music Group), Kinski, “Live: The Snowy Parts of Scandinavia” (Sub Pop Records), Paul Oakenfold, “Faster Kill Pussycat (Featuring Brittany Murphy)” (Maverick Records), Serena-Maneesh, “Drain Cosmetics” (Playlouderecordings).

Film Shorts will be: 5 Boro: “A New York Skateboarding Minute” (Skateboarding), Radical Films: “Kranked — Progression” (Mountain Biking), TGRTV The North Face (Skiing/Snowboarding).

And finally the images will be a variety of images to personalize a Zune device, including 12 classic rock posters from “Art of Modern Rock”.

Full tags

Audio, MP3 players, Microsoft, Zune