Microsoft is no longer groovy with its Groove Music Pass online streaming service.
The technology giant said Monday that it would stop supporting the service after Dec. 31, 2017. Although people will be able to still use the Groove Music app as a traditional music player, they will not be able to buy, download, or stream new music once the streaming service shuts down.
Microsoft (MSFT) will release an update to the Groove Music app by Oct. 9 that will let existing Groove Music Pass users move their online music collection and playlists to rival service Spotify.
The decision to end the Groove Music Pass highlights the difficulties Microsoft faced building a music service amid fierce competition from companies like Spotify, Google’s (GOOG) Google Play Music, and Apple (AAPL) Music.
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Over the years, Microsoft’s paid music service underwent several name changes. Originally, Microsoft called its paid-music service the “Zune Music Pass” when the company was pushing its Zune-brand of portable media players. The company then abandoned Zune in favor of its newer Xbox Music streaming service in 2012.
In 2015, Microsoft rebranded the Xbox Music service to Groove Music Pass because of customer confusion, according to Microsoft executive Joe Belfiore, particularly people who did not own an Xbox gaming console.
But despite the name change, Microsoft’s music streaming service never got caught on as other services like Apple Music and Spotify continued to grow.
