Xbox Music for Windows Phone updated with improved performance and Kid’s Corner support

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Microsoft have delivered the promised update for the Windows Phone version of Xbox Music. Version 2.6.186 of the app has been given an overhaul and is much faster than before, Microsoft say they have focused on easy playback and reliability of the app and my initial impressions are that have achieved that.

The app is a lot faster when navigating around your music collection, there seems to be less lag than there was before. There is a recent play feature so you can jump to your recently played tracks and Kid’s Corner is supported now so you can let your kids play music without them being able to get to other areas on the phone (this requires 8.1 Update to work).

Microsoft also say that have fixed Album and Metadata bugs. I still seem to be missing album art for some of my albums even ones with a metadata so I think there is still more to do on that front. Playlist now shuffle from your complete collection and not just the first 100.

I am in the process of switching from Google Play Music to Xbox Music and I think Microsoft still have some catching up to do but they are getting there. You can find the updated app in the Windows Store and here are the details from Microsoft:

The eighth update for the Windows Phone 8.1 Music App is now available in the store! Our focus for this release was primarily on enabling easy playback & reliability of the app. Please enjoy, and as always – let us know what you think!

In version 2.6.186 you will find:

It’s easier than ever to start playback of your favorite tunes via our new Recent Plays feature!

You can let your kids play music worry free, now that we’ve added support for music in Kid’s Corner! *Requires Update 1*

It’s noticeably faster to launch & navigate about the app, particularly the songs, artists, and albums pages

We also fixed several significant bugs, with a focus on:

Album art & metadata reliability (more to come here!)

Unexpected app exits & some black screens

Playlists now shuffle from everywhere (not just first 100)

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