Xbox Live doubling entertainment offerings with Music app, 35 new partners

Microsoft will double the amount of entertainment experiences it offers on Xbox Live over the next year, as it launches a new Music app and adds dozens of new media partners to the service. The company has sought to position the Xbox 360 as a digital entertainment hub in consumers' living rooms for years. Thanks to deals with services like Netflix and Hulu, the company was able to announce recently that users spend more time consuming media on Xbox Live, instead of playing games. Microsoft said it has partnered with 35 more media providers who will offer their content on Xbox Live, including Nickeldoden, Paramount Movies, Youtube video games channel Machinima, and Spanish-language television network Univision. It's building on its deals with professional sports leagues, too, to stream live NBA and NHL sports games. Microsoft has also expanded its partnership with ESPN to offer live programming events from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, and ESPNU in HD. Microsoft wants to make music a major component of its entertainment offerings, and announced its Xbox Music app to help the service reach that goal. The service offers over 30 million music tracks that users can listen to and share. They will be able to access the app on Xbox 360, Windows 8 PCs, tablets, and phones.