What is Spotify? A new online music service that might or might not revolutionize your life. Though it's been popular in Europe for several years (with more than 10 million registered users), the site just launched in the U.S. on Thursday, after months of speculation.
How is it different from all the other music services? It's still a little unclear. With Pandora's soaring IPO and the recent launch of Turntable.fm — a site that allows you to play songs for others as if you were a DJ — it's hard to keep track of the competition. But Spotify is different from those in at least one important respect: It has secured contracts with all the major record labels, along with some independent ones. That means you can listen to just about any well-known song past or present whenever you want, without being beholden to the tastes of either your friends or Pandora's customized artist algorithm. Instead of typing in the Rolling Stones and getting Creedence Clearwater Revival, you'll just get the Stones.
So should I be using this? It definitely sounds good. Spotify empowers its users with lots of options — in addition to streaming songs, you can import the ones you already own and share playlists. And unlike Rhapsody, a similar on-demand music-listening service, it's totally free. (There are also paid options that get rid of the ads.) But there are still plenty of restrictions: Users will be capped at 20 hours of listening per month, and you can only play a single song so many times. That means it might make a nice preview of a new album you heard about, but no, it will never replace your vinyl edition of Exile on Main St. (Will anything?)
via www.esquire.com
Are you using Spotify? Has it surpassed iTunes or Pandora as your source for new music?
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