Zune Pass Subscribers to Get Free Monthly Reward

Microsoft has announced that its online music service, Zune Pass, will now give subscribers the option to select up to 10 DRM-free tracks every month (valued at approximately $10).

Zune Pass is a subscription-based music service that costs $14.99 a month and provides unlimited downloads from its large music library. However, like most music subscription services that use DRM, if you stop your monthly payments, then the music stops too. This new added feature is sure to be welcomed by existing subscribers and one that Microsoft hope will make its business model a more attractive choice to potential customers.

Chris Stephenson, the general manager of global marketing for Zune at Microsoft, said: "The way people consume music has changed. With the shift to digital from CDs, it is more challenging than ever to offer the right mix of deep content, music discovery and economic value. People want the freedom to listen to whatever they want across millions of songs, combined with the confidence that they can keep their favorite tracks forever." The obvious benefit of this is that you can build up a permanent music library that won't disappear in a puff of DRM smoke if you decide at a later date to stop using Microsoft's service.

As we see the continuing trend of digital media services moving away from copy-protection in favor of DRM-free downloads, the real test for Microsoft is whether they can significantly increase their user-base by giving away DRM-free music every month.