Spotify launching free service for mobile devices

Deals are agreed with major labels and an event next week is set to announce the new service

by hodg100
Spotify is to launch a free version of its popular music service for phones and tablets, provided those mobile users are willing to tolerate some adverts.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Swedish firm has concluded the necessary license deals with all three of the global music companies in order for them to use their content on the new service.

Prior to this, the only way to get in on the act, sans subscription, was from a computer so we’d imagine a lot will hop on board and, no doubt, Spotify will be hoping that once they’ve reeled you in, the £9.95 per month will seem like good value to banish the ads.
Negotiations with Sony have taken a year
Spotify launching free service for mobile devices

Spotify, at last count, has around 6 million paying subscribers and more than 20 million active users Worldwide. With the launch of new music services from Google and Apple plus the new consoles ushering in a new age of Sony Music Unlimited and Xbox Music, perhaps they felt some pressure to extend their offer.

Sony, of course, are one of those three major record companies to give its consent to Spotify and, reportedly, it’s taken negotiations spanning a year for the Japanese company to agree. Universal Music and Warner Music are the other signatories.
Limited on-demand for non-subscribers.
Talks have centred on how much Spotify will pay the labels – naturally – and just how much freedom non-subscribers will have over their music, according to the WSJ’s unnamed sources.

It’s believed non-paying customers will be given a limited number of on-demand choices but their listening will mostly be compromised of music served up by the recommendation engine, similar to Pandora or iTunes Radio.

Spotify is holding a press event in New York next week where it’s likely the full details will be announced, will you be signing up?

Source: WSJ
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