Yes, it’s been awhile since I posted here at ZuneSphere.com. There’s a couple of important news announcements regarding the Zune. First off, let’s talk about pricing.

On the hardware front, Microsoft lowered the price of the flash-based Zune players. The 4GB Zune now goes for $99; the 8GB for $139 and the 16GB $179. Unfortunately the hard drive based Zune didn’t receive a price discount at this time.

Several Zune accessories were also marked down – the Zune Car Pack is now priced at $69 dollars, the Home AV Pack is at $59 dollars, and the Dock Pack is now $39 dollars.

Now on the software/music side, a couple of major developments. First off, there’s a new firmware and software update available – so make sure to perform an update at your earliest convenience.

Secondly, the Zune Pass subscription received a nice enhancement yesterday. Starting yesterday, folks who use Zune Pass (which costs $14.99 per month) will be able to download and keep 10 tracks per month – DRM free. Microsoft signed agreements with EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group as well as many independent labels to make this happen. Microsoft also announced that soon over 90 percent of the content on the Zune Marketplace will be DRM-free and in MP3 format. This certainly makes Zune Pass much more attractive for those of you who have been waiting in the sidelines. While you’re paying for unlimited access to songs, you also get what amounts to a free album once a month.

[Check it out via PC Magazine]

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