Microsoft has brought its Xbox Music app for iOS up to speed with its rivals by offering offline playback.
Microsoft launched iOS and Android apps for its streaming music service last year, but the omission of offline playback stunted its appeal. The latest update allow users to download playlists to listen to in places where they can’t get a reliable 3G or Wi-Fi signal, such as rural areas, planes and underground trains.
The Android version of the app still lists offline streaming as a feature that’s “coming soon”.
Users need to pay for an Xbox Music Pass to use the iOS or Android apps, although the Xbox Music app for Windows 8.1 offers ten hours of free streaming every month, interspersed with advertisements.
Spotify, meanwhile, recently announced free music playback for its tablet and mobile apps, and today’s update to the Spotify app for iOS makes good on that promise, allowing users to listen to artists or playlists in shuffle mode for free.
Smartphone users who want to listen to specific tracks and albums must still pay for a premium account. Spotify’s tablet app allows users to pick and choose which albums and songs they wish to hear, but adverts are played between tracks and offline playback is reserved from Premium account holders.
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