Swimming with the stream: Microsoft kills Groove Music and partners with Spotify Watch Now

Over a year ago Microsoft announced its plan to kill its Groove Music Pass service and shift users to Spotify. But it still allowed users who stored music in OneDrive to play and manage music through the Groove Music app.

As spotted by Neowin, Microsoft quietly informed users in a new support note that, as of March 31, Windows 10 users will no longer be able to stream OneDrive music in Groove Music since the Groove Music OneDrive streaming service is being retired.

"Your personal music files will continue to be available in OneDrive. You can keep listening to your music using the OneDrive web player or by downloading your files and playing them in the Groove Music app," Microsoft explains.

Users' music files will still be available in OneDrive after March 31, and they will be accessible online through the OneDrive app on any supported device.

Users can still download music to play it locally through the Groove app. However, songs stored in OneDrive will stop syncing with the app on March 31.

Songs stored in the Groove Music service will be deleted "up to 30 days after that", according to Microsoft.

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The end of Groove Music OneDrive streaming applies to Groove Music, Windows 10, Windows Phone, Xbox Music, and OneDrive. Microsoft also notes that streaming music through the game Forza Horizon 3 won't work either, and that the in-game OneDrive music feature will be turned off.

As part of the Groove Music shutdown Microsoft also spiked the Groove Music iOS and Android apps on December 1, 2018, leaving users with the option to download files and use them on the Windows 10 Groove Music apps on PC, Xbox, or Windows Phone.

Exactly a year before that, Microsoft killed off the ability to stream, purchase, and download music through the Groove Music app.

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