Groove Music Pass
Xbox Music
Microsoft renamed its streaming subscription from Xbox Music to Groove, integrated it across Windows, and then sent listeners to Spotify while their purchased files stayed behind.
Quick facts
- Existence state
- Officially Gone
- Peak stage
- general availability
- Research confidence
- high
- Last verified
What it was
A formally released subscription music-streaming service operated by Microsoft.
The service offered on-demand listening and catalogue management across Windows, Xbox, the web and mobile applications.
Existence timeline
Microsoft replaces Zune's subscription brand.
Windows 10 introduces a new identity and application.
Streaming and personal libraries operate across devices.
Microsoft announces a partnership and migration path to Spotify.
New subscriptions and music purchases end.
Groove's catalogue and radio functions become unavailable.
Why it ended
Microsoft stopped selling subscriptions and streaming music on 31 December 2017, directing customers toward Spotify.
Last confirmed trace
The local Groove Music player, support pages, screenshots and purchased music files survive without the former catalogue service.
What it left behind
Its end marked Microsoft's withdrawal from direct consumer music subscriptions after the Zune and Xbox Music eras.
How we classified it
The archive unit reached normal public release or operation and is no longer obtainable in its original public form.
Verified normal public availability maps to 100 under Arrival Score V1.
Sources & verification
Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Sources are linked so readers can inspect the evidence directly.