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View Full Version : Annual Zune Pass: Pay for 10 Months, Get 12 Months


Jason Dunn
10-21-2010, 05:34 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://zune.net/en-US/products/zunepass/annualpass.htm#' target='_blank'>http://zune.net/en-US/products/zune...annualpass.htm#</a><br /><br /></div><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1287678759.usr1.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></p><p>Like having a Zune Pass? Like saving money? Here's a no-brainer offer for you then: if you sign up for a year of Zune Pass, you get 12 months worth of goodness for 10 months - and you still get to keep 10 songs a month even if you don't renew the Zune Pass later on. Nice! Now if only if were available in Canada. Or Germany. Or many of the other countries out there on this planet...</p>

randalllewis
10-21-2010, 07:29 PM
Wow. This is great news. I have long been curious about the Zune Pass but was put off by the price. It just seemed a bit too high; even $12.99 would have been better. And there was no discount for longer subscriptions. Who does that? Every magazine subscription reduces the unit price in return for length of time. Microsoft does the same for Xbox Live.

Now that Windows Phone 7 is (almost) here and with Zune Pass being integrated into Xbox next month, I thought it was time to at least give the free 14 day trial a spin.

Sure enough, I have been listening to (and enjoying) artists I would never have tried before. I had already made the decision to take the plunge even at $14.99 and no reduced rate for length of subscription at the end of my trial. The phone and Xbox features add enough new value in my opinion. And now that Jason breaks the news of a 12 month for the price of 10 deal, the Zune Pass becomes a no brainer.

Jason Dunn
10-21-2010, 11:19 PM
And there was no discount for longer subscriptions. Who does that? Every magazine subscription reduces the unit price in return for length of time. Microsoft does the same for Xbox Live.

It could be that, up until recently, Microsoft didn't have the profit margin to pull it off - I've often wondered how the economics of the Zune Pass work. Whatever the reason, this is nice to see...

brianchris
10-24-2010, 05:55 PM
I will be purchasing a Windows Phone 7 as soon as they are released in the United States (November 8th), and therefore will start using the Zune media store, which I haven't before. Some basic questions: Are the music tracks from he Zune store DRM protected? What format are they (MP3, etc.)? TIA!

Jason Dunn
10-25-2010, 05:19 PM
Are the music tracks from he Zune store DRM protected? What format are they (MP3, etc.)? TIA!

It's all MP3 format, without any DRM. :) Bit rates are usually around 256kbps, so it sounds quite good.

BarbaraH
11-16-2010, 11:05 AM
It's all MP3 format, without any DRM. :) Bit rates are usually around 256kbps, so it sounds quite good.

I guess this is an old post, but there are DMR restrictions....

Jason Dunn
11-17-2010, 05:57 AM
I guess this is an old post, but there are DMR restrictions....

Zune Pass has DRM restrictions, but songs/albums purchased from the Zune Marketplace do not.