Developers: Use the new Xbox Music APIs in your apps and start earning revenue

By Sam Sabri
last updated

You’re not a major player if you don’t have APIs for devs to tap into your product. Which is why Xbox Music just went from another streaming service to a bonafide platform. That’s right, Microsoft has done something a little unexpected today. They’ve introduced the Xbox Music API as a way for developers to connect their apps or websites to the Xbox Music service. Let’s check it out.

So what can you do with these APIs for Xbox Music from Microsoft? Quite a bit actually, including becoming an affiliate to generate revenue. You’re getting access to RESTful web services when you’re using the Xbox Music API. Using the API you can do these things:

  • Get the details of an album, an artist, or a track if you know its ID.
  • Search for any album, artist, or track details based on a string of keywords—for example, "Madonna hang out".
  • Get the top tracks and newest albums of an artist.
  • Get a deep link that redirects nicely to the Xbox Music applications, whether on the web, on Windows Phone, on Windows 8, on Windows 8.1, or from some other platform.
  • Get album covers.
  • Get artist images.
  • Become an affiliate and start earning revenue from sales you generate on Xbox Music applications.

In order to get started you’ll want to read the documentation on the new APIs in Xbox Music, linked below. After that you’ll want to get your free API key from the Windows Azure Marketplace. To become an affiliate you’ll need to create a publisher account with Rakuten Linkshare and apply to the Xbox Music affiliate program. Once you’ve done that you can earn start earning revenue in your app or website when you use the Xbox Music API.

Xbos Music API

This is a pretty excited move from Microsoft and we can’t wait to see what developers do with Xbox Music in their apps. This is all brand new, so we’ll be on the lookout for the first handful of apps in the Windows Phone Store that use the Xbox Music API.

Developers thinking of using the APIs? Readers, how would you like to see Xbox Music used in new or your favorite existing applications? Sound off below.

Source: Xbox Music Developer, Xbox Music Service Documentation (opens in new tab)

Thanks Jay for the tip! 

Sam Sabri
Sam Sabri
37 Comments
  • Does that mean WhatsApp can now share songs through Xbox music??
  • Maybe. I have emailed them, waiting for reply.  
  • Does this mean SongArc can access the music library for further integration to cloud streaming songs? Or something like that?
  • Could that api be used by Sonos to integrate XBox Music?
  • I don't think so. DRMed content will not be exposed cracked open by the API. It would defy the purpose.
  • So far everything in the API only talks about metadata, not the actual songs themselves, so I guess the answer is no.
  • Wow that's awesome.
  • hopefully this means some better last.fm integration. especially for windows 8
  • Yes please!!! It would be nice to be able to scrobble song that are streamed also, 'cause right now I have to download on my phone every album I want scrobbled or they aren't detected when I listen to them, grrr.
  • THIS X 1000000
  • Just what I was thinking, but the main limitation regarding scrobbling on WP is that the MediaHistory API only returns songs in the media library. Xbox music APIs return things like album covers, and I think there was already a last.fm API for that anyway.
  • Pandora already does this if your listening to a song you can hit menu to buy,download then it goes directly to the song in Xbox music
  • Definitely this! If they can provide an option to access play history across devices that would be perfect.
  • SongArc already uses this System, or?
  • That's what I thought..
  • Xbox music is not available for Indonesia ahhh why should such a present help in Indonesia
  • Time for you developers to get to work! lol Can't wait to see what awesomeness you guys/gals have for us.
  • MS is just being lazy, hoping others will do the work. :p
  • Yep. I would not be surprised if we get yet another version of the music-player from MS in a year, restarted and missing 90% of the stuff people want. How about planning the app before they start coding and commit to it and finalize it, instead of winging it like it seems they are doing now.
  • Rudy Huyn!!! Where are you! Im looking forward to you creating something amazing with this api
  • Guess I have some added task this holiday. I'm already exploring Deezer and 7digital APIs for the next update of my app. After getting and having the app design consultation from the toledo brothers, next update will hopefully attract more downloads.
  • Cool, what is your app called? -)
  • it's a music chart app based on the rateyourmusic.com charts called RYM Chart. www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=4e181437-3083-4872-8e6c-c5b9e2f3c6ac
  • It looks intresting but the API's cant be used for sharing actual songs. Its more about accessing inormation. Good for companies like Shazam as they can potentialy make money from direccting users to the store who purchase the tagged song.   Its not really about Microsft being lazy either its just gives developers access to their databaes in a controlled environment.
  • Ill admit to not having read the documentation yet, but based on the description here the APIs dont actually sound that useful.
  • Does this mean I can stream music from my web app using the API?
  • No, you can only search the database and get information/links from it.
  • Got it, thanks!
  • I just want an app to be able to see all songs in my collection, whether local or in cloud collection, and tell the built-in media player to play them. It doesn't look like this will accomplish this.
  • That's what the Xbox Music app already does. You'll notice that if you start something in Xbox Music and then go over to the built-in app the now playing and playlist match.
  • Things just keep getting better for team $oft :-)
  • So wait, someone can make Zune again with this?
  • This isn't really about just getting metadata about songs and such as many other services already do this. The API is more about creating a consistent experience across Windows Apps and encouraging that by the Affiliate program. Its pretty cool and should lead to some swish experiences.
  • Song lyrics syncing
  • I updated my web app listhappens dot com using the xbox music api to check if the song requested is Seasonal, Christmas or Kids' song.  Please let me know if the filter works.  Thanks!
     
  • Why my Xbox music store plus setting disappeared ??
  • Town is the ShizBiz!