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Spotify Free Streaming Tier Goes Live for iPhone Users

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Spotify's new free listening tier for smartphone customers, originally announced last month, is finally live for iPhone users. Previously, Spotify limited its free listening to desktop users, requiring a $9.99 monthly subscription for music access on mobile devices beyond Spotify's free radio streaming.

On the iPhone, Spotify's service is built around shuffling, much like similar services from Pandora and iTunes Radio. Customers can search for a specific artist or song, but will be required to shuffle through an artist's catalog to access the music. Pre-compiled playlists can also be accessed, but unlimited search and listen access is not available.

Only paid iPhone subscribers will be able to listen to music offline, a must for users hoping to listen to music on airplanes. iPad users see a slightly different service, working similarly to how the current PC version of Spotify does. Users can pick and choose songs to listen to without forced shuffling, but they still won't get access to offline tracks.
- Your music: Listen to all the playlists you've created and playlists from the people you follow. Spotify lets you discover new music, save, shuffle and share.

- Your favourite artists: Want to listen to a certain artist? Just hit shuffle play, sit back and listen to their entire catalogue. Don't settle for something similar. Don't settle for just one track from the artist you want to hear every 20 minutes.

- Discover great new playlists: Going for a jog or to the gym? We've got the playlist to help you go the extra mile. We know you just want the perfect music for a specific moment in time - and we've got you covered. There's something for every mood, genre or moment.
Click to expand...
Spotify for iPhone can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Update: Some users are saying they've had access to the free tier for several weeks. It's possibly Spotify has been rolling out the new tiers gradually to its user base.

Article Link: Spotify Free Streaming Tier Goes Live for iPhone Users
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/01/08/spotify-free-iphone/
C

calvin2006

macrumors 6502
May 15, 2006
284
102
Phoenix, AZ
I've had this on my iPhone for about a month now. It works really well with my playlists, with reasonable time for ads and every now and then a random song that is similar to items in my playlist. Nice feature.
 
bushido

bushido

Suspended
Mar 26, 2008
8,070
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Germany
huh? it went live the day they announced it. you had me all excited for a change in iPhone usage :D:(
 
RMo

RMo

macrumors 65816
Aug 7, 2007
1,254
281
Iowa, USA
This went live the day they announced it, and contrary to the update tacked on to the end of this article, I don't think it was a gradual rollout (they said "here's how you do it" the day of). You didn't even need an app update for it to be enabled, so the bug-fix update today is undoubtedly unrelated.
 
M

mdignen

macrumors newbie
Feb 10, 2009
13
0
RMo said:
This went live the day they announced it, and contrary to the update tacked on to the end of this article, I don't think it was a gradual rollout (they said "here's how you do it" the day of). You didn't even need an app update for it to be enabled, so the bug-fix update today is undoubtedly unrelated.
Click to expand...

I still had shuffle only until today's update.
 
Twimfy

Twimfy

macrumors 6502a
Sep 11, 2011
888
246
UK
Surprised it has taken this many years for the free service to come to mobile users.
 
RMo

RMo

macrumors 65816
Aug 7, 2007
1,254
281
Iowa, USA
mdignen said:
I still had shuffle only until today's update.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what was and is supposed to be happening since the changes a few weeks ago. You don't get a desktop-like experience on mobile (except iPad) unless you pay.

EDIT: Or am I reading the MacRumors summary wrong? (It seems to agree with what they said a few weeks ago.) Did they really eliminate Shuffle as you and another poster suggested? I don't see a press release or anything from Spotify announcing this change. I have the new version, 0.9.2, and it behaves exactly as before, as I described.

EDIT 2: Even Spotify's relesae notes say "Spotify is now free on mobile ... Listen to all your [favorite] artists in shuffle mode on mobile, and play any song ... on tablet." If the tablet experience is happening on mobile for the free tier, that sounds like an accident to me.
 
R

RebornProphet

Suspended
Nov 3, 2013
989
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Your update is a lot of nonsense.

This went free for EVERYONE with an update the day they announced it. The confusion has come from Spotify reminding everyone in this bug fix update that the streaming is now free on mobile devices, which makes it look like its part of the update when it's not.

Jesus Christ, how shoddy can MR get?

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mdignen said:
You can! Shuffle is gone.
Click to expand...

On iPad yes, on iPhone no.

As has been the case since the original update weeks ago.
 
F

fekofe

macrumors newbie
Apr 9, 2008
8
0
RebornProphet said:
Your update is a lot of nonsense.

This went free for EVERYONE with an update the day they announced it. The confusion has come from Spotify reminding everyone in this bug fix update that the streaming is now free on mobile devices, which makes it look like its part of the update when it's not.

Jesus Christ, how shoddy can MR get?

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On iPad yes, on iPhone no.

As has been the case since the original update weeks ago.
Click to expand...

Wow, you are wrong. Have you even updated? I'm able to play whatever song I like after the new update for iphone
 
bushido

bushido

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Mar 26, 2008
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fekofe said:
Wow, you are wrong. Have you even updated? I'm able to play whatever song I like after the new update for iphone
Click to expand...

yes but you cannot PICK the song ... you can shuffle through a playlist.

even says so in the press release
 
R

RebornProphet

Suspended
Nov 3, 2013
989
494
fekofe said:
Wow, you are wrong. Have you even updated? I'm able to play whatever song I like after the new update for iphone
Click to expand...

No you can't, not unless you're on premium.

You can create playlists on iPhone and play them, but only in Shuffle mode and with six skips per hour. On iPad you can choose which songs to play in any order and with unlimited skips.

"Listen to all your favourite artists in shuffle mode on mobile, and play any song, anytime on tablet".
 
F

fekofe

macrumors newbie
Apr 9, 2008
8
0
RebornProphet said:
No you can't, not unless you're on premium.

You can create playlists on iPhone and play them, but only in Shuffle mode and with six skips per hour. On iPad you can choose which songs to play in any order and with unlimited skips.
Click to expand...

I'm not on premium. I have unlimited search and unlimited skips on my iphone 4s. You'll just have to accept it.
 
R

RebornProphet

Suspended
Nov 3, 2013
989
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fekofe said:
I'm not on premium. I have unlimited search and unlimited skips on my iphone 4s. You'll just have to accept it.
Click to expand...

lol. You can search until your wee heart is content, of course you can.

When you search for an artist and go to the results a big green button appears (on iPhone) that says Shuffle. You can create as many playlists as you want, but when you go into them the Shuffle button appears and the individual tracks text are dulled down (non press-able). The only way to play the playlist is on shuffle.

If you've got it on your 4s, and I don't believe for a second that you do, then it may well be a glitch and you're getting something you shouldn't which will remedy itself. Even the app itself in its notes tell you that on mobile it's on shuffle only. You cannot scroll halfway down a playlist and play a song of your choice first on iPhone, that only works on iPad.

And as for accepting it, I don't give a toss what you have on your 4s because I'll just use the vastly superior iPad app on my 4th gen. You're trolling and now you're blocked.
 
C

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,391
19,458
RebornProphet said:
Your update is a lot of nonsense.

This went free for EVERYONE with an update the day they announced it. The confusion has come from Spotify reminding everyone in this bug fix update that the streaming is now free on mobile devices, which makes it look like its part of the update when it's not.

Jesus Christ, how shoddy can MR get?

----------



On iPad yes, on iPhone no.

As has been the case since the original update weeks ago.
Click to expand...
How about Spotify's shoddiness in not even being able to provide correct release notes which is a rather simple task?
 
R

RebornProphet

Suspended
Nov 3, 2013
989
494
C DM said:
How about Spotify's shoddiness in not even being able to provide correct release notes which is a rather simple task?
Click to expand...

I've seen recently updated apps do this in the past, when a major new feature has been added they keep it in the release notes as a reminder. I'm sure the likes of Asphalt 8 have had the previous major update notes retained when the the next update, a minor bug fix one, is released.

It's misleading, but again MacRumors already reported on Spotify giving this service away the day it was announced and the update rolled out. Someone at the office is clearly not doing their research.
 
F

fekofe

macrumors newbie
Apr 9, 2008
8
0
RebornProphet said:
lol. You can search until your wee heart is content, of course you can.

When you search for an artist and go to the results a big green button appears (on iPhone) that says Shuffle. You can create as many playlists as you want, but when you go into them the Shuffle button appears and the individual tracks text are dulled down (non press-able). The only way to play the playlist is on shuffle.

If you've got it on your 4s, and I don't believe for a second that you do, then it may well be a glitch and you're getting something you shouldn't which will remedy itself. Even the app itself in its notes tell you that on mobile it's on shuffle only. You cannot scroll halfway down a playlist and play a song of your choice first on iPhone, that only works on iPad.

And as for accepting it, I don't give a toss what you have on your 4s because I'll just use the vastly superior iPad app on my 4th gen. You're trolling and now you're blocked.
Click to expand...

Ok, found out why I had unlimited access. No need to worry, you were right.
To clarify: iphone users are still limited to shuffle

What is this nonsense about me being blocked? I was just expressing my delight in having unlimited access. Grow up, man
 
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