Xbox Music has remained as mysterious as ever in the months following its announcement in June, but some new information today may have finally given us a launch time frame to work with.

The Verge reports that the long-buffering replacement for Zune is going to officially launch on October 26th. If the date sounds familiar, that's because it could be renamed as Microsoft Global Domination Day when the company also releases Windows 8 / RT products and its own Surface tablets. Tom Warren goes on to say that a Spotify-esque free streaming service with ads will be a part of Xbox Music, while Music Pass subscriptions will live on with the same $9.99 monthly fee or $99 annual fee that exists today.

There is likely a reason why Microsoft is waiting until the last moments before launching the music service, whether its due to notorious record company negotiations or simply intentional. If it's the latter, Microsoft may be hoping that the surprise launch will catch competitors off guard and make Windows 8 and Windows Phones more attractive to customers as they go on sale. Regardless, we now have a third circle to draw around October 26th on our calendars.

Source: The Verge