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Windows 7 Music Integration for Windows Phone [Updated]

Most people know that you can stream music from your phone/computer to an external Bluetooth device, like a pair of headphones or speakers. But did you know that Microsoft and the Windows Phone team have added something special for Windows Phone devices that connect to a Windows 7 PC? Yup! They sure did.

So I was messing around with my Venue Pro the other day, and I thought I’d see what happens when I connect it to my PC via Bluetooth.  I wasn’t expecting anything special, since I was fairly sure I wouldn’t be able to transfer files over Bluetooth(I couldn’t). But lo and behold, after Windows 7 finished automatically installing drivers, I was greeted with a set of media controls above the notification area of my screen. Turns out that these controls are connected to the Zune player on my Venue Pro.  If I hit “play”, music from my device will be played on my PC’s speakers(as if it was the slave music device).  I still have full control from my phone as well.  So if I want, I can use my phone to remotely play, skip, and replay songs. 

Now, you might be asking, “Why do I care? It seems like a stupid feature”.  Well, Microsoft as essentially allowed you to turn any Windows 7 PC into a set of portable Bluetooth speakers! In addition, if you have ZunePass, you can now “share” your music with others who are not registered on your account. You can easily play all your music on any PC without the hassles of wires or set your phone down somewhere. If you want you can then hook up the laptop to a set of real speakers for some quality music playback. 

So what are you waiting for? Go fire up the Bluetooth and give it a go, then come back and tell us what you think in the comments!

UPDATE: This only works if your PC’s Bluetooth adapter supports the AVRCP profile. 

To get everything connected follow these steps:

  1. Turn on the Bluetooth for the PC and your Windows Phone device(under “settings” then “Bluetooth”
  2. Make go to your Bluetooth manager and select “add a device”. (The Bluetooth Manager can be accessed either through the Bluetooth icon in the notification window or in “Control Panel/Hardware and Sound/Devices and Printers/Bluetooth Devices”)
  3. Your Windows Phone should automatically be set to discoverable mode and will appear in the new window for you to select. If no device is found, you can connect to windows by selecting your PC from your device’s Bluetooth Manager. (You will have to make sure you enable your PC’s discoverable mode though")
  4. A verification code should now appear on your Windows Phone device.  Select “OK” and on the PC select “Next”
  5. Your drivers should automatically be installed. (Bluetooth AV Remote Control Target, Bluetooth AV Source, and Bluetooth Headset AG)
  6. Now go into the Bluetooth Device Control for your Phone and under the “Music and Audio” header, select “Connect”
  7. Once connected, a Media bar should appear.
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