Zune Software

Zune is Microsoft's media management software that is no longer offered to the public. Its online services went offline for good in November 2015. It was used as the desktop media library, player and sync software for Zune players and Windows Phone 7 devices, and it was later replaced by Xbox Music and the Windows Phone app for desktop. The final release of the software, version 4.8, came out on Aug 22, 2011.

Zune was used as a media player and could be used with MP3, AAC and WMA files for audio, MPEG-4, H.264, WMV and AVI files for video, and JPEG images. It also gave access to the Zune Marketplace, an online store built into the program. The user could rip CDs, organize the collection and sync files to Zune devices, also over Wi-Fi. With this software installed, the user could buy music, movies, TV shows, and apps and subscribe to podcasts. Content could also be enjoyed on the Xbox 360 and on phones.

The music section grew to about 14 million songs and could be filtered by genre so the user could easily find what they needed. The prices were usually around $0.99 to $1.24 per song. Users could also purchase a Zune Music Pass, which allowed unlimited streaming and downloading of the catalogue for a monthly fee; in the US it was lowered to $9.99 a month in 2011. The Videos section offered movies, TV shows and music videos. The applications section contained apps and games for Windows Phone.

Originally, the Zune Marketplace was only available in the United States, but it later became available in other countries in Europe, Asia and Australasia, and in Canada from 2011. The selection of music, videos, podcasts and apps differed from country to country.

The Zune brand was discontinued in 2012, when Microsoft replaced the Marketplace with Xbox Music and Xbox Video and moved Windows Phone 8 syncing to a new app. Zune services kept working for existing users until November 15, 2015, when they were shut down forever.

It combined a media library, a player and device sync with direct access to the Zune Marketplace for music, videos and podcasts.

Features:

• Supports a multitude of formats for media (audio, video, and images)
• Syncs music, videos, pictures and podcasts to Zune players and Windows Phone 7, also wirelessly
• Rips audio CDs, burns discs and keeps the collection organized, with Smart DJ mixes and Quickplay
• Offered the Zune Music Pass subscription for unlimited music streaming and downloads
• Was used together with the Zune Marketplace (music, podcasts, TV, etc)