Every time I start to think that Microsoft has forgotten Xbox Music, it does something like this: The firm announced a new mobile app today for Windows PCs, tablets and phones that alerts you to incredibly low-priced albums, including some that are as low as $1 or $2. If you find one you like, you can buy it—wait for it—from Xbox Music.
While I sort of question the point of buying music in this age of music subscription services, what the heck. It's $1 or $2. (Which reminds me. I wrote an entire 550+ page book about Windows 8.1 that costs only $2. Come on, you slackers. It's $2 for crying out loud.)
What's interesting about the deals is that some of them appear to be time-limited. So if you find a $1 or $2 album you want, you may have to move quickly to get it at that price. Well, not that quickly. The deals I see now are available for several days.
You can of course pin the app's live tile to your Start screen (or Start menu in Windows 10) to keep up to date on the latest deals too.
And some of the deals aren't that great. While I do see plenty of $1.99 albums today, Prince's mid-80's album "Purple Rain" costs $10.99. (And Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors" is $29.99.) That seems a bit excessive, and possibly is a mistake.
When you do select an album to buy, the Xbox Music app launches (after you OK it).
Interesting stuff. Especially if you're not sold on cloud collections and subscription music services.
You can download Music Deals for Windows 8/8.1 from the Windows Store.
You can download Music Deals for Windows Phone 8/8.1 from the Windows Phone Store.
