Microsoft announced that Zune music subscribers can keep ten songs per month, and add them to their permanent collection. Word up homey.

So what gives, MS? What’s the catch? There is no catch, only a whopping $14.99 monthly subscription fee for the Zune Pass. Although consumers can listen to as much music as they want (aka on-demand access), now they can download and keep ten unprotected songs every month; additional downloaded songs can be accessed as long as the Zune Pass is valid according to the subscription agreement.

The way the account works is that consumers can download songs and copy the files to three computers and three Zune players, but they cannot be burned to a CD. The ten unprotected songs consumers receive per month are for keeps, meaning they can go anywhere once the Zune Pass subscription ends, and can also be burned onto a CD. Microsoft has already signed deals with EMI music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group (UMG), Warner Music Group and independent distributors in order to offer the new ten-song monthly bonus. Zune Pass users can also stream music without downloading files as well.

Microsoft claims that Sony BMG, EMI Music, Warner Music Group, UMG and "a large portion of the independent music labels" will offer the DRM-free MP3 files. Microsoft also says that it plans to offer over 90 percent of its music in the MP3 format soon. “The way people consume music has changed. With the shift to digital from CDs, it is more challenging than ever to offer the right mix of deep content, music discovery and economic value,” said Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Zune at Microsoft. “People want the freedom to listen to whatever they want across millions of songs, combined with the confidence that they can keep their favorite tracks forever.”

Microsoft shut down its MSN Music Service over two years ago, thus directing music seekers to RealNetwork’s Rhapsody service until it launched Zune Marketplace. The current service now offers TV shows and music video as well as music. Music content is offered in DRM-restricted WMA format or non-DRM MP3 format for a per-song or per-album fee. Consumers purchase content by spending Microsoft Points, costing $5 for a block of 400 points; songs in turn require 79 points each.

The decision to add ten free songs per month to the Zune subscription plan may be Microsoft’s attempt to entice consumers who may not have found a subscription-based service appealing. It’s also rather obvious that Microsoft is trying to topple the almighty giant Apple, who thus far retained 71 percent of the MP3 market dating from January to September of this year; Microsoft racked in a not-so-astounding 3 percent according to the NPD Group.