Spotify could be free for some US users

Spotify's unlimited music service could reach the US soon but only under special deals that might involve Android, a rumor insists today. After delays from music labels that wanted only a paid model, TechCrunch hears that Spotify has allegedly struck a deal where a "very limited" number of users will have access to the free, ad-sponsored subscription available in Europe. It's not certain whether the rest would have access to the paid Spotify Premium accounts, which have usually cost about $14 per month and drop ads.

A US launch may also accompany new features like recognizing the content already in your computer's music collection as well social playlists.

The same sources also suggest that Google has been in negotiations with Spotify to make the service a free feature of Android 2.1 and could even have it preloaded on the Nexus One for tomorrow's launch. To make the deal, however, Google would absorb the $3 to $4 per user in label fees and would let Spotify continue to run ads to support the streaming music.

Whether or not a deal will happen at all is uncertain. The results of the talks aren't known, but those with early access to the Nexus One haven't seen a Spotify app onboard, and the insiders speculate that talks have probably "gone cold."

Any Android deal would potentially upset the smartphone market as it would give Google's platform an immediate advantage for music over competitors like iPhones and Symbian devices, which already have Spotify access in Europe but need Premium accounts to work. Existing streaming services like Rhapsody and Slacker are already available in the US but aren't as popular as Spotify has been in its original markets.

By Electronista Staff