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Zune news: New streaming podcasts, new Zune Social functionality

Mar. 4, 2009 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

Microsoft sent word today about two new Zune features.

Starting today, Zune will feature one of the most robust audio podcast catalogs available for streaming directly from your web browser – no need to connect to the Zune Marketplace. And, active participants in our forums can keep tabs on the latest Zune discussions by directly subscribing to a topic-based RSS feed.

Finally, Zune Social members can get competitive by testing their friends’ music knowledge through quizzes they create and associate with their profiles – artists listed as answers will be linked to artist pages so the music discovery never stops.

The Zune Insider blog as a bit more information:

Head on over to Http://Social.Zune.Net/Podcasts/ to try out the new streaming audio podcasts through your browser. We now have one of the largest streaming audio podcast catalogs - so go browse and enjoy. Also don't forget to create a music quiz - everyone is doing it, or so I hear.

You may continue to see some leftovers of the update last night like delayed play count data. This data is not being lost, it just may take a little longer to display. Thanks again for all your patience. The work we did on the backend will help the Zune service continue to grow and scale.

Discuss this Article 25

scottbakertemp
on Mar 4, 2009
Did they ever fix the issue where you couldn't tell wether your free or paid tracks were protected wma's or unprotected mp3's?
Ocean
on Mar 4, 2009
This zune stuff is a waste of MS' time and resources.
lotsamystuff
on Mar 4, 2009
"Also don't forget to create a music quiz - everyone is doing it, or so I hear." Yeah, it's all the rage. *cough, cough* Lame.
tayme
on Mar 4, 2009
@Ocean - "This zune stuff is a waste of MS' time and resources." Your vast experience in running a multi-billion dolla company tells you that, huh??? --tayme
tayme
on Mar 4, 2009
@"lotsamystuff" - I thought that was pretty lame, too. They must be paying attention to all of the kids on Facebook!!! Next thing you know, I'll be able to send Drinks and shamrocks to other Zune users!!! (Yes, all 17 of them) --tayme
Ocean
on Mar 4, 2009
>>Your vast experience in running a multi-billion dolla company tells you that, huh???<< No, my vast experience in being a consumer targeted by a "multi-billion dolla" company tells me that.
yipcanjo
on Mar 4, 2009
I'm just glad that they keep making the Zune experience better and better. Honestly.... the Zune hardware is nice (I love it, actually) but it's the software and services that continue to impress me. On the negative side, planning a Zune service update on the launch date for the newest U2 album was just about a bone-headed as you could get. Geez :(
james3mg
on Mar 4, 2009
The podcasts-through-your-browser is ... a little confusing. I guess they just link to the same rss feeds as the marketplace on a web site. Which isn't a bad idea, I guess. My problem with the podcasts on the Zune (which is my ONLY problem with the Zune...I love it) is that their support for podcast creators is horrible. I can't submit a feed- they just pick them up "somehow". And I recently had a podcast change addresses- apparently they don't support the common redirection tags, so that podcast is effectively stale in their marketplace now. Nor have they updated the art for my podcasts in the last 8 months, or payed attention to my messages that the art is stale. Maybe they're working on this, and this update is part of that. I can only hope. :(
tayme
on Mar 4, 2009
@Ocean - So, in your opinion it is a waste of time and resources...but for us Zune users (all 17 of us...we must all read Paul's blog) it is very worthwhile...and continues to surpass my experiences with the iPod/ITMS ecosystem... --tayme
rjohn05
on Mar 4, 2009
I like the regular updates to Zune and its services. As an iPod user I am watching very closely. If they come out with something this year that looks cool and adds some additional functionality I am looking for then I will be happy to tell Apple to "suck it!"
chuckb84
on Mar 4, 2009
"@Ocean - So, in your opinion it is a waste of time and resources...but for us Zune users (all 17 of us...we must all read Paul's blog) it is very worthwhile...and continues to surpass my experiences with the iPod/ITMS ecosystem..." And in the other news today, Amazon seems to like that iPod ecosystem pretty well, since they just made all the Kindle ebooks available. So, that's a multi-billion dollar company making the endorsement. Don't hold your breath for a Kindle app on the 17 Zunes in the world. This is the difference between a bad-selling music player and a new portable platform. Amazon knows the difference, which appears lost on the 17 Zune owners, and on Microsoft, who continue to pour money down this rathole.
Lindy
on Mar 4, 2009
The Zune is not a bad piece of hardware. They have nothing to compare to the iTouch. Also the software is now as good as iTunes, minus massive amounts of content music and otherwise. I have to agree with Ocean, its a total waste of money at this point. If I were a shareholder with significant shares I would bitch up a storm about killing it. I also would NOT support a new Xbox anytime soon. Squeeze ever last dime out of that POS of a game console.
whiplash55
on Mar 4, 2009
I'm glad they continue to move forward and do something with the Zune store. It runs so much better than iTunes I never want to have to resort to Apple software on a PC. I see Ocean berating the Zune as a waste of time but their subscription service and their MP3 options are far better than itunes and their pocatching software is the best.
hamiltonstallings
on Mar 4, 2009
I hope to see more from zune also. Itunes is a piece of junk on Windows. It is the slowest software I've ever used in my life, and it wreaks havoc on your music library, not to mention the hell of uninstalling it. I just don't understand why apple software runs so bad, I guess they are just lazy? Anywho, until I pull the trigger on getting one, I need to find someone that uses itunes so I can attempt to sync my old ipod.
shark47
on Mar 5, 2009
"I hope to see more from zune also. Itunes is a piece of junk on Windows. It is the slowest software I've ever used in my life, and it wreaks havoc on your music library, not to mention the hell of uninstalling it." Glad I'm not the only one that feels that way about it. Zune runs very well on Windows. I think Microsoft should make it part of the Live suite. I also wish someone would allow me to sync music to the iPod from the Zune software. No, the EC won't do it. Instead, they might force Microsoft to bundle Safari with Windows, to make my life even more miserable.
tayme
on Mar 5, 2009
@chuckb84 - "Don't hold your breath for a Kindle app on the 17 Zunes in the world. This is the difference between a bad-selling music player and a new portable platform. Even though Paul already posted that story, I'll respond...as we 42 Mac users in the world know, the most popular brand is not always the best in breed... --tayme
Dude1313
on Mar 5, 2009
Popularity has nothing to do with this. The only people I run across complaining about iTunes are in Tech forums... for must people it runs well enough and does what it wants to for them... hmm sounds like something familiar to me. For most the bottom line there is no compelling reason for an user to buy a Zune over an iPod. You can slice this anyway you want, but when MS is forced to compete fairly they find it a much tougher fight. They usual tactics by MS don't apply in this arena and they are getting hammered, its not even close. As always YMMV, but at the end of the day with this when it is looked at objectively its too little waaaay to late. Laslty for my one PC that I have on my home network iTunes seems to run just fine. I actually am one of those people that read the installs and find Safari OK, I'd much rather use Firefox on any platform. You want to talk about "miserable software" allow me to get rid of? Let me remove Internet Destroyer and Messenger from XP and they would be gone in a heartbeat.
shark47
on Mar 5, 2009
"The only people I run across complaining about iTunes are in Tech forums... for must people it runs well enough and does what it wants to for them... hmm sounds like something familiar to me. " Yeah, I think Apple has done a good job of convincing the average Joe that it's all either the user's fault or Microsoft's fault when something goes wrong. Maybe they should start blaming Bush too.
Dude1313
on Mar 5, 2009
Bush did everything right then? Mind you I voted for McCain.
james3mg
on Mar 5, 2009
"Don't hold your breath for a Kindle app on the 17 Zunes in the world." Absolutely, but by the same token, don't hold your breath waiting for such an app for the iPod mini or classic, either. The zune player line, right now, is just a music player (and video, pictures, contacts, related stuff, etc). But Windows Mobile will be getting the Zune functionality sometime in the next year or so, reportedly, and when that happens, THEN you're looking at a platform that's actually more in line with the iPod Touch/iPhone where this comment would be viable. Right now, MS just doesn't have a platform with all the capabilities of the iPod Touch, because media playback on most WinMo devices is a joke. All I'm trying to say is, Zune doesn't compete with the iPod Touch. It just doesn't- they're totally different. Someday, WinMo might actually be a competitor in that market. We'll see just how much. Until then, the only real comparisons are the Zune against the clickwheel-type iPods. I wouldn't mind a WinMo Kindle app though (I love my Omnia). And yes, it would be a viable comment on "endorsement" that they released it for the iPod Touch/iPhone before WinMo.
tayme
on Mar 5, 2009
Look out...its dropping to politics, now!!! I'm staying out of it this time. Its a no-win situation...both parties are looking for power...not the citizens' best interests. I guess that I didn't stay out of it, after all!!! --tayme
tayme
on Mar 5, 2009
@james3mg - I agree totally...and I also love my Omnia...other than Verizon locking me out of the GPS...but I have a TomTom for turn by turn directions. I would only use it for tagging pics and such...I think. --tayme
james3mg
on Mar 5, 2009
Rumor is the GPS is getting unlocked soon...I'm actually really intrigued by Google Latitude, which works awesome on the Omnia except for the GPS stuff
shark47
on Mar 5, 2009
"Bush did everything right then?" No. In fact, I'm still trying to figure out if he did anything right.
Master3
on Mar 5, 2009
I'm glad to see that we can stream Podcast. I'm always on the lookout for new shows to listen to, and it's always a pain to have to just guess based on a podcast logo and provided summary, usually by the podcast authors, only to find the shows completely boring. And seriously to the resident trolls, MS doesn't need the advice of people whom think that low-selling "failures" like the MacBook Air and Apple TV are brilliant products that Apple should keep "wasting time and resources" on, telling them what to do with products they put out.

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