Quiet Criticism: spotify

Showing posts with label spotify. Show all posts

4.8.09

Microsoft Launches Streaming Music Service to Compete with Spotify

Microsoft will launch a music streaming service this month, in an attempt to get some of Spotify’s market share. Spotify allows users to stream music for free with intermittant advertising, and the option purchase downloads. Peter Bale, executive producer of MSN, told The Telegraph:

“Music is an important area for Microsoft. We are looking at launching a music streaming service imminently. It will be a similar principle to Spotify but we are still examining how the business model will work.”

14.5.09

Spotify Adds Another 120,000 Tracks

Spotify has added 11,280 albums and singles to their catalogue, to a total of 127,578 new songs available, after signing a deal with indie digital distributor Zebralution. For a full listing of the additions check out these Google Docs: sorted by artist and by label. According to the Spotify blog:

"Today’s update is most likely the biggest update we’ve had since we launched last year."

New releases include The Spinning Top by Graham Coxon, She’s In Control from Chromeo, and material from Bill Evans, Café Sputnik and Kutiman. I especially appreciated the addition of the classic Allotria Jazz Band and the Balkan/ska Amsterdam Klezmer Band. Read more...

12.4.09

Songs For Pennies or Stream for Free?

With all the music streaming and download services available, it’s difficult to decide which one to use. iTunes recently introduced their tiered pricing, but Amazon is selling top-tier songs at a cheaper price. Even though iTunes controls the download market, fans looking to buy music might be enticed by Amazon’s price drop.

On the free streaming front, Spotify released libspotify Tuesday night, which allows third-party developers to write applications for the service, and YouTube, though reported to have blocked “premium” videos in the UK and Germany, still provides most music for free, through user-made videos. Continue reading...

1.4.09

Spotify Sells Music Downloads to Compete with iTunes

Music streaming service Spotify will now sell music downloads after striking a deal with online music store 7digital, stepping up the competition with iTunes’ in the music downloads market. Users will be able to click a link associated with a song, be redirected to the 7ditigal site, and purchase the respective track. Read more...

17.3.09

Spotify Adds 110,000 Songs

Spotify, the free streaming music service we’ve mentioned before, has updated their music catalogue today with 22,000 new tracks. Some highlights of the new update are Mr. Oizo, Nightwish, Funker Vogt, Pete Doherty, Melotron, Walls Of Jericho, Motörhead, and much more, so check out the full listing here. Continue reading...

6.3.09

Spotify Gets Hacked, User Info Stolen From Music Site

If you use the music service Spotify, beware. The Swedish company says that hackers were able to break into the service at the end of 2008, and steal users’ personal details. The security breach was only discovered last week, and the company has issued a formal apology and promises users that it will make efforts to ensure the violation is not repeated. Read more...

31.1.09

Spotify gets ‘Restricted’ by Major Labels

Spotify posted on their blog that their music catalogue will be reduced in quantity and some tracks will be removed for certain countries. The free streaming music service is being bullied by the major labels to restrict their distribution and although Spotify is compiling, they are not happy about it. From the blog:

“These restrictions are a legacy from when most music was sold on tapes and CDs and they have continued over into streaming music, our hope is that one day restrictions like this will disappear for good.”

4.8.09

Microsoft Launches Streaming Music Service to Compete with Spotify