PlayStation Music, Powered by Spotify Is Coming To PS3, PS4, Xperia Devices

Sony has announced plans to launch a brand-new streaming media service called PlayStation Music. This will be available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Xperia tablets and smartphones. The move aims unify its various entertainment services under the resurgent PlayStation brand.

Announced via the PlayStation Blog, Sony has provided a timeframe for launch as well as details on the impending closure of its current music streaming service, Music Unlimited. PlayStation Music will be powered by streaming music giant Spotify as an exclusive partner. The service is scheduled to launch at an as yet undetermined date this spring.

"We know how important music is to our community of gamers, and this partnership combines the best in music with the best in gaming, said Eric Lempel, VP of Sony Network Entertainment on the PlayStation Blog. “PlayStation Network users will enjoy the convenience of linking your accounts to Spotify, making it easy to sign-up with your existing ID and subscribe to Spotify’s Premium service."

Lempel went on to clarify that PSN users will be able to make use of the free, ad supported version of Spotify if they wish. He also added that gamers will be able to listen to custom soundtracks while they play. PlayStation Music will provide access to Spotify's full library of more than 30 million songs and 1.5 billion playlists.

According to PlayStation EU Blog representative, Grace Iglesias-Fernandez, the new service is scheduled to launch in 41 countries this spring: Australia, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, U.K. and U.S.

Music Unlimited launched on the PlayStation 3 in December 2010, expanding to Android devices the following year. The service gained a modest following but failed to fully leverage the user base of nearly 80 million PlayStation consoles. Engadget reports that Sony plans to close Music Unlimited on March 29, prior to the launch of PlayStation Music. PSN users with an active subscription to Music Unlimited will receive free access to the service through March 29th.