Microsoft is shuttering Groove Music. The company announced the news on Monday in a blog post on its site, explaining that the streaming service will be discontinued on December 31 and any customers subscribed to the service will be refunded on a pro rata basis.

Microsoft said it would cease sales of Groove Music Pass memberships soon, and in a partnership with Spotify, would make it easy for existing Groove Music subscribers to move their playlists over to the rival music streaming service.

Groove Music to Spotify

With the continued advancement of music streaming today, all the world's music has become easily accessible across a variety of devices, unlocking new ways to discover and experience music. As we continue to listen to what our customers want in their music experience we know that access to the best streaming service, the largest catalog of music, and a variety of subscriptions is top of the list.

Which is why we're excited to announce that we're expanding our partnership with Spotify to bring the world's largest music streaming service to our Groove Music Pass customers. Beginning this week, Groove Music Pass customers can easily move all their curated playlists and collections directly into Spotify. Plus, you may be eligible for a 60-day free trial of Spotify Premium.

Microsoft said users of the Groove Music iOS app will be able to continue using music purchased through the service and stored on OneDrive, but streaming, buying, and downloading through the app will end for good on December 31.

It's unclear how many subscribers were still using the ailing service, which is home to a 50-million track library, but the announcement will be good news for Spotify, with Microsoft now officially promoting the rival as the go-to streaming service across both Windows 10 and Xbox platforms.

Top Rated Comments

OllyW Avatar
99 months ago
I wasn't even aware they had a music service. It wasn't promoted very well in the UK unlike Spotify and Apple Music which you can't seem to avoid.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vmistery Avatar
99 months ago
It’s good they are backing Spotify rather than one of the smaller providers really as you do need at least 2 major streaming players in the market and Spotify seems to be the only one that has a chance of standing up to Apple longer term.

I’m sure all 7 of Groove’s customers will migrate :-)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gixxerfool Avatar
99 months ago
I’m not a fan of Microsoft at any level, but they keep trying to break into music and not doing well. They should stick to where they do well. Game consoles, Windows, Office, and Exchange.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Quu Avatar
99 months ago
I honestly did not know they did streaming Music. And I do use a Windows 10 computer.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DEMinSoCAL Avatar
99 months ago
Microsoft and Music was always a struggle.
It’s interesting to see how they struggle with some areas they don’t have a good grip on.
Not true. Years back they had Zune as a service, app and device all of which were excellent. People to this day use the Zune device (even though the service no longer exists). The software was amazing. Unlike the "glorified spreadsheet" that was iTunes, the Zune app was graphically rich and to be honest, worked very, very well. I used it as my main media streaming software, and had the Zune Pass which gave me unlimited access to their catalog plus a FREE DRM-free album every month as part of my $10/mo subscription.

The problem was, despite everyone saying how great it was, Microsoft has a problem HEARING people, and wound up retiring the whole Zune system to the dismay of their subscribers.

In general, MS has a problem making anything they do intuitive, easy to use, and having the features people want. Their XBOX and Office365 account websites, for example, are complete disasters with no clear lines between your accounts, yet they are connected. It's like the people that design those sites think so differently than everyone else, that their products are unusable by most. The sites defy logic when it comes to simple functions.

Apart from Windows 10, I don't think MS has a "good grip" on any of their products. And even with Windows 10, the goal posts seem to keep moving when it comes to making things easy as they remove access to things (like control panel) just to make it harder for us to access it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Onexy Avatar
99 months ago
And yet there is no windows store Spotify app.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

WSJ: Apple Weighing Price Hikes for iPhone 17 Lineup Without Blaming Tariffs

Monday May 12, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
Apple is considering raising prices for its upcoming iPhone 17 models set to release this fall, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal. The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to U.S. tariffs on goods from China. The...
tvOS 18 Feature

Apple Releases tvOS 18.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.5, the latest version of the tvOS operating system. tvOS 18.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌ owners who have...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.5, the fifth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched last September. macOS Sequoia 15.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.4. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia 15.5‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Expected This Week With These New Features

Monday May 12, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple is expected to release iOS 18.5 to the general public this week. While the software update is relatively minor, it still includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.5. Pride Wallpaper Apple recently announced its 2025 Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch band, watch face,...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

20th Anniversary iPhone Will Be Mostly Glass With All-Screen Design

Monday May 12, 2025 2:52 am PDT by
Apple will mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone X in 2027 by launching a mostly glass, curved iPhone without any cutouts in the display, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said the all-screen device will arrive later in 2027, suggesting a fall release. The model will be preceded by Apple's first foldable iPhone, claims the reporter....
Apple Logo Spotlight Blue

Report: Apple Preparing to Launch Mind-Control Support for iPhones

Tuesday May 13, 2025 6:18 am PDT by
Apple is planning to allow users to natively control iPhones, iPads, and other devices using brain signals later this year, The Wall Street Journal reports. The initiative involves a partnership with Synchron, a neurotechnology startup that produces an implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) device called the Stentrode. The Stentrode enables users with severe motor impairments, such as...