Microsoft doubles down on Xbox Music with revamped service — including iOS and Google Play apps

Microsoft is giving a big boost to its Xbox Music business this fall, partly by expanding its digital music service to both Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platform. The change is the first in a series of efforts to vault Microsoft’s digital music business from a weak also-ran to a useful asset in its larger entertainment business.

The addition of an Xbox Music app on the other platforms shows that Microsoft isn’t religious about extending its music business to its competitors’ offerings. And it also shows that the company is pressing its push into the entertainment business on all fronts, even in areas where you could easily argue that it hasn’t won.