Spotify has expanded its music service to reach customers in Australia and New Zealand. As of today, both Southern Hemisphere countries will be able to use the streaming service, and will have country-specific apps offering curated music playlists. The launch takes place three months after Spotify first arrived in Germany.
Spotify on Friday detailed the latest update to its Windows and OS X desktop apps that brings with it a number of improvements. Version 0.83 brings with it the ability to create radio stations based on a playlist or an album thanks to dedicated buttons. Start Playlist Radio and Start Album Radio will launch a stream of similar music based on each respective category.
The Official Charts Company of the UK from Monday onwards will start releasing a chart based solely on streamed music tracks. The Official Streaming Chart will be the first chart ranking audio streams from both ad-funded and subscription streaming services in the UK, instead of product sales or radio airplay figures.
As expected, Rdio has just launched its paid music streaming service in the UK and France. Pricing is not a surprise either, with £5 ($8) per month for web browser streaming and £10 ($16) for mobile and web streaming. This mimics the price structure and offerings from competitor Spotify, which launched in the UK.
Music service Spotify has released an updated iOS client, v0.5.0, introducing a native iPad interface for the first time. This mainly allows iPad users to stay in the same view while searching through tracks, users, and playlists. Users also get access to higher-resolution album art though, and a full-screen mode, intended for people connecting their iPad to a home stereo system. An AirPlay menu allows for Wi-Fi streaming to compatible speakers.
The UK's High Court decided in favor of ordering The Pirate Bay blockeD on Monday. Internet providers in the country must prevent their users from getting usual access to the site. The measure followed a November call from the music industry's Britsh Phonographic Industry to voluntarily block the site.
Spotify might be gearing up a more formal Internet radio option, a pair of sources claimed Thursday. While it already has basic radio features, the new method outlined to Bloomberg would be more akin to one like at Pandora or Slacker, where explicitly labeling it as radio would get government-regulated lower royalty rates. The method would also purportedly get it access to artists that normally wouldn't sign for the usual on-demand Spotify system.
Microsoft's restarted music plans will see them escape the platform and feature limits of the Zune Music Marketplace, according to new leaks. Tipsters for The Verge had the service, codenamed Woodstock, being available not just to Windows, Windows Phone, and Xbox users, but Android and iOS as well. It would also be playable on the web, although without needing a plugin.
Spotify on Thursday addressed complaints over its Android app with a new preview version of its remake. The new version is completely remade and designed explicitly to support Android 4.0 phones like the Galaxy Nexus or One X. The UI change brings swipe-based navigation columns, extra-large artist artwork, and a Facebook-style slide-out menu.
Rumors abound regarding Spotify's future plans and workings as the music streaming service continues to grow in popularity. Now, with a major press conference scheduled for later in the day, news emerges that Spotify has inked advertising deals with AT&T, McDonalds, Intel, and Reebok, as well as a worldwide ad deal with Coca-Cola.
Facebook has quietly added a dedicated Listen button to the pages for major musicians. Conveniently placed next to the Like button, the Listen button will bring up the most commonly accessed streaming music service on a user's account. In our case, it was Rdio, but Spotify and others can pop up as well.
Music streaming service Spotify may announce a release date for an official app for Apple's iPad at its event this Wednesday. The indication comes from a purported Instagram image of the app on an iPad, since pulled, from a Swedish technology consultant. It was captioned "It's getting closer!" and preserved by The Verge.
Large brands will be releasing their own Spotify apps in the next few months. According to Ad Age, brands like AT&T, Intel, and Reebok are in line to provide and promote their apps on the music streaming service.
Spotify has sent out more invitations to a special event on April 18. Referring to the New York City gathering only as a "press briefing," the invitation has no clues as to the actual substance. Founder Daniel Ek will headline the event just after he finishes his Ad Age keynote.
Spotify on Wednesday hoped to give more public exposure to its music through the Play Button. The new web code lets sites post individual songs or whole playlists that, while they need Spotify open in the background, can be controlled directly from the browser. Spotify sees it as a way to legally embed music and, by extension, pay artists for each listen.
Online music streaming service Rdio plans to offer a radio-like listening option to its service, letting users set and forget a station or constant music playback, VP of Product Malthe Sigurdsson revealed in an interview with GigaOM. Doing so would mimic similar features from competitors like Spotify and Slacker, the latter offering it on their paid, Premium service.
Boxee has just detailed an update to the Spotify app on its hardware. The Boxee Box app now has a full search feature, giving an easier way to find specific tracks in Spotify's catalog. They can filter by song name, artist, or album.
Spotify's ability to lure paying subscribers in the US might be disappointing labels if a rumor proves true. Those near the labels have supposedly told the New York Post that there were fewer paying for the $5 or $10 tiers than the industry had hoped for. Free users either weren't staying subscribed for long, weren't leaping to the $10 Premium tier, or weren't renewing, one of the unnamed contacts said.
"Weird Al" Yankovic accelerated a trend that may see musicians get better pay for their Internet content after suing Sony Music Entertainment for at least $5 million. The suit, filed in New York City on Friday, followed a similar pattern to the Eminem dispute, where the Straight Outta Lynwood producer and his company Ear Booker alleged that Sony had deprived him of sales revenue at iTunes and elsewhere by counting them as sales rather than licenses, which would give him a 50 percent cut of what the publisher receives. He also argued that fiscal stake in YouTube Sony has in return for its content deal also means he should get a proportionate amount of money for plays on his videos.
Spotify is planning to resolve some longstanding flaws with its Android app, leaks uncovered Tuesday. The "major" update identified by The Verge didn't have elaborate details, although it would possibly tackle widescale crashing and other flaws. Android 4.0 isn't officially supported and has had the most problems.
A cross-check of facts at TorrentFreak has called into question the effectiveness of France's three strikes anti-piracy law, Hadopi. Despite claims (below) by the Hadopi office that bootleg file sharing is down 66 percent in France, new music sales data shows that revenues were still down 3.9 percent over 2011, two years after Hadopi had been enacted. It points to the measure's warning and disconnection process not only having little effect but possibly having hurt sales by reducing exposure to new music.
Echo Nest, the self-proclaimed music intelligence platform that supplies music data, has now partnered with streaming music service Spotify to allow developers integrate data into their apps. Developers will now just need to use a Spotify song's ID to pair it with Echo Nest's Rosetta Stone database, which includes song and artist identifiers. They can then integrate this data easily with sites such as Facebook, Twitter, 7Digital, EMI, Free Music Archive, and Rdio, among others.
Streaming music service Spotify has removed the five-track playback limit for its free service in five European countries. At the same time, the unlimited free trial will be extended in the US, due to a claimed very high response. Exactly how many more plays will be available in Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, and Spain hasn't been revealed, however. Nor is it known by how much the six-month trial in the US will be extended.
New RIAA music data has shown streaming music starting to get mainstream acceptance in the US. Although the number of those paying for subscription music services like Rdio, Slacker, and Spotify in 2011 was small at 1.8 million users, it represented an 18.9 percent boost over the year before. Revenue was up by a smaller rate, at 13.5 percent, as the faster paid subscriber rate was partly offset by free or low-cost users signing up.
Mog has posted a new app for Windows desktop owners. With it, subscribers can listen to music from the music service's catalog of over 14 million songs on their windows PC as well as their mobile device or Mac. The app features a native audio decoder for improved audio playback quality.
Beats Audio's increasingly corroborated acquisition of MOG is now thought by sources to have not only been completed but ultimately a shell operation. The anonymous insiders near MOG told GigaOM that MOG had sold for just under $12 million. Although Beats made the purchase itself, it was HTC funding the deal, according to claims.
Spotify has continued to expand its library of apps, introducing a series of titles that are dedicated to various record labels. The latest apps, which are available via Spotify's desktop software, enable users to access specific content released by studios such as Warner Music, Def Jam, EMI, Matador, Sony and Universal, among others.
Paris-based streaming music service Deezer has just announced the launch of an offline listening mode, letting users download their music through their browser. Thus far, only Chrome is supported, though work on other browsers is underway. Unlike competitor Spotify's caching mode, a desktop app isn't needed as it's using HTML5's built-in support for offline web apps.
Sonos lived up to its word early Tuesday and released its revamped edition of the Controller for Macs and Windows PCs. The 3.7 update is its first major rework in some time and brings some parts of the mobile apps over to the desktop. We've had an opportunity to try it in advance with some quick impressions.
Partly HTC-owned Beats Audio was rumored Monday to have bought MOG. A single source for Business Insider claimed a quiet deal had been struck last week with no mention of terms. While unverified, MOG was unusually non-committal on whether or not it had been acquired, saying only that it was open to deals.
The streaming music subscription service that is Spotify will come to Germany on Tuesday, German media has reported. It will partner with the German version of Interview magazine and the Eventim festival guide. The price will be the same 10 euros (about $13) per month other European countries pay.
The music service Spotify has answered a few of its more common missing features with a desktop app update. The latest version brings gapless playback and track-to-track crossfading to its subscribers on both Macs and PCs (free, OS X, Windows). The new update also incorporates several performance enhancements.
Microsoft is looking to redo its music service strategy, leaks uncovered Friday. Those said close to major label discussions told CNET that Microsoft was aiming for a mix of streaming and downloads. The focus would be on the Xbox and an unnamed Windows Phone, possibly made by HTC or Nokia.
Spotify doesn't have Adele's Grammy-winning album, 21, available to its non-paying subscribers because the artist's reps didn't want the songs available to those who aren't paying a subscription fee. The streaming music service does offer the option to listen to all of its content if they agree to ads instead of paying a monthly fee. Spotify didn't want to split up the catalog, sources told FastCompany.
HTC could get into its own proper music service and more if sources are accurate. Beats co-creator and Interscope-Geffen-A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine was said by GigaOM's contacts to be working with HTC on a streaming music service that would be built-in with each phone and tablet. Details of how it would behave weren't yet ready, but it was being crafted as an anti-Spotify service to avoid giving the incumbent too much of an "iTunes-like" edge.
Two major mobile apps got updates for special features at the end of the week. Spotify on iOS (App Store) now has the option to both stream and sync audio at 320Kbps, the same quality as it exists on the desktop. While it requires either a more intensive Internet connection or extra storage for cached tracks, it puts the app's audio quality ahead of other on-demand music rivals.
Warner Music Group was reported its fourth quarter sales, and while they stayed consistent, at $780 million, revenue from digital music sales increased by 17 percent. What's more, it is now a 28 percent slice of the pie of all sales. This is a sign of the changing way music lovers access their music, and the label provided a further breakdown of these sales.
Spotify scored a more symbolic win Wednesday after checks found that Coldplay had put its latest album, Mylo Xyloto, back on Spotify (link). The appearance, which includes other streaming services like We7, follows after the rock band kept its whole album off of streaming music services for fear of losing album purchases at iTunes and elsewhere. The decision was unusual as it came just weeks after the band's manager David Holmes had reiterated his objections to what he saw as lost revenue.
U2’s manager Paul McGuinness has voiced his thoughts on the arrival of ad-driven online radio services exemplified by Spotify. While McGuinness was supportive of the concept, and can see it as a viable make-up of the way that music is distributed in the future, he still has serious reservations about it. The main problem, according to McGuiness, is that Spotify and the labels have not been transparent enough about the money generated by the services, and this has resulted in artist mistrust.
Spotify has already reached three million paying subscribers, the company's US managing director Ken Parks gave out in a discussion Thursday [free reg. required]. The benchmark number given to the FT was triple the million from a year ago and saw it growing much faster than before, having reached two million in September and 2.5 million in November. The three million now represented a larger 20 percent portion of the base and didn't include those who were just part of free trials.
Rhapsody, the streaming music subscription service, announced on Thursday that it has bought Napster assets in Germany and the UK. The company also bought Napster's business in the US before laying off the majority of those employees. Rhapsody promises to keep the European employees on, however, and the Napster name there will remain untouched.
The first app to take advantage of Spotify’s move to allow third-party app support to its mobile APIs has been made available on the iTunes store. SpotON Radio has been launched as a free app initially, although it may shift to a $2 asking price after its launch window. As expected, to access Spotify’s music library users must hold a Spotify Premium membership ($10/month) to use it.
The IFPI in its latest study (PDF) saw an eight percent upswing in digital music revenue in 2011. The increase is the first it claimed to have had since 2004 and lines up with an American rebound in overall album sales. They were important enough for online content to represent 32 percent of the industry association's combined business versus 29 percent in 2010.
US album sales have grown for the first time in seven years, Nielsen Soundscan reported Wednesday. A three percent increase to 458 million albums in 2011 was helped by digital sales from iTunes and other sources jumping by 20 percent, to 103 million, overcoming a six percent drop in CD sales to 225 million. Single songs themselves grew faster, up nine percent to 1.27 billion songs.
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) published data showing the rapid rise of digital music on Monday while simultaneously making its familiar complaints about the perceived effect of piracy. Downloads from iTunes and similar stores grew a fast 24 percent in 2011 over 2010 to 26.6 million. As in past years, the tally wasn't yet fast enough overcome the decline of the CD market, which dropped 13 percent to 86.2 million and led to an ultimate six percent drop in album sales overall versus last year.
The Rhapsody streaming subscription music service has just reached over one million paying subscribers. The growth also means Rhapsody president Jon Irwin kept his promise and shaved his head to commemorate the milestone. Just last year, Rhapsody was at 650,000 subscribers when it became an independent company.
Spotify's BlackBerry app has exited the test stage and is now available to supporting hardware. Users can visit Spotify's mobile site from their browser to download the app, with Spotify offering a 48-hour free trial. After this period, they will need to either sign up for a 30-day trial or pay for the Spotify Premium subscription, which costs $10 per month in the US.
UK-based Rara on Tuesday will bring a new streaming music service to 18 countries around the world, AllThingsD revealed. The company is the brainchild of Rob Lewis, who also founded Omnifone, which provides music services for LG, Sony and RIM smartphones. The service is priced at $5 per month for unlimited, ad-free streaming over the web, or can take their music with them for $10 using an Android app, with an iOS app coming.
Spotify has updated its recently unveiled Spotify Platform, currently in beta, with a new smart radio playlist function. The latest preview build nestles the Radio section in among the new Spotify Apps. Users can now drop any song onto the app, which prompts it to create a radio station of similar music.
Schematic Labs has announced that SoundTracking (Free, Android Market), its social music sharing app, is now available for Android. The app is designed to allow users to capture a moment in their lives with music and share a track that they are listening, in real-time, using Facebook, Twitter or Foursquare. Users can also share a photo as well as a geolocation, along with the song snippet.
