Spotify's Free Streaming Music Service May Be Coming to iPhone and iPad - Page 2

TallManNY · Feb 20, 2013, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtOfWarfare

I, for one, will use it quite a bit more meaning I'll be subjected to more ads meaning they'll make more money from me.

But it seems to me that this will kill a major incentive for people to upgrade from free to premium, and my understanding is they make 3x as much money from premium users vs. free users.

They'll have to find out how many fewer people will pay and how much more often free users will be subjected to ads to figure out whether this will increase their revenue or not.

Well they mainly sell music as their product. So they are starting with a request from the content providers to get the music even cheaper than they already get it. So the plan is get content for nearly free, give it away for nearly free, get lots of customers (because they have a great service that they are giving away for either free or very cheap), go to capital markets and show eyeballs and growth of service (plus growing revenue, even if no profit), get additional rounds of capital funding, pay upper management, go public and get even more funding, upper management sells stock and retires millionaires (or move on to new venture).

This basically isn't a real business, at least not with its give away content for free and hope that they don't have to pay for what they are giving away. But they don't have to be a real business, they just need to seem like one until they can go public and cash out. Or they can get bought out by other internet companies that have already gone public and don't really have revenue streams that justify their stock valuation.

Here is an article from last year:

Spotify — a top player in online music streaming, is about to close a round of financing that will set its value around $3 billion.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Spotify wants to raise more than $100 million in its latest deal. The $3 billion valuation at that mark would be a nice step up from last year’s financing, during which Spotify was valued at $1 billion — though it looks like it’s short of Spotify’s goal of being valued at more than $ billion. In light of the plunges in IPOs like Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA) and Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN), however, the enthusiasm for hot social deals is waning.

Spotify, founded in 2006, might generate as much as $900 million in revenues for this year. The company charges $10 per month for its service and has more than 15 million subscribers.

It’s unclear how much Spotify has to pay music labels for its content, but considering deals at other streaming services, the amount’s likely substantial, which means the company’s margins probably are tight.

slffl · Feb 20, 2013, 09:52 AM

Don't care. The sound quality from all of these streaming services (Pandora, Slacker, Songza, Spotify) pale in comparison to streaming from iTunes Match. Test it yourself. iTunes match sounds A LOT better!

Daveoc64 · Feb 20, 2013, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slffl

Don't care. The sound quality from all of these streaming services (Pandora, Slacker, Songza, Spotify) pale in comparison to streaming from iTunes Match. Test it yourself. iTunes match sounds A LOT better!

That doesn't make any technical sense.

Mapex · Feb 20, 2013, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FSMBP

I made a dummy Facebook account it (using my junk email address). It's worth getting access to all that free music.

You can set up your user profile at https://www.spotify.com/us/account/overview. I forgot how I did it but Spotify prompted me to create a Spotify username with which I can login instead of using Facebook.

bushido · Feb 20, 2013, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slffl

Don't care. The sound quality from all of these streaming services (Pandora, Slacker, Songza, Spotify) pale in comparison to streaming from iTunes Match. Test it yourself. iTunes match sounds A LOT better!

except not? Spotify is in 320kbps, iTunes Match 256 kbps

Plutonius · Feb 20, 2013, 10:02 AM

I will never use Spotify since a facebook account is a requirement to get a Spotify account (i.e. I will never get a facebook account so no Spotify for me

).

basesloaded190 · Feb 20, 2013, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plutonius

I will never use Spotify since a facebook account is a requirement to get a Spotify account (i.e. I will never get a facebook account so no Spotify for me

).

https://www.spotify.com/us/signup/open/

You don't.

Plutonius · Feb 20, 2013, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basesloaded190

https://www.spotify.com/us/signup/open/

You don't.

They changed things then. I stand corrected.

John.B · Feb 20, 2013, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdsfire

Spotify offers a free radio version on the iPhone. It's not the on-demand version like on the desktop but it's similar to Pandora or Slacker.

Spotify hasn't required a Facebook login since mid 2012, stop freaking out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by basesloaded190

You are correct.

https://www.spotify.com/us/signup/open/

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris.L

Just looked at the sign up page and it allows you to sign up using an email address as well as connect via Facebook.

Edit: Damn. Beaten to it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gonca

I've been using recently spotify without any facebook data. That step can be ignored during the registration..

Great to know! That must've changed recently, and I'm glad to see it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon44

I'm sure they'll be gutted to not have you and the other 3 people on Earth who think are too cool for Facebook

No need to feed the Zuckerberg ad machine, not any more than I'd care to feed the Schmidt/Page/Brin ad machine. Especially when there is no value add to me. Feel free to give them detailed logs of your activity if you want, but I'd rather opt out thankyouverymuch.

SilentLoner · Feb 20, 2013, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basesloaded190

https://www.spotify.com/us/signup/open/

You don't.

It's hilarious to see that being repeated over and over again. I wish people would read threads.

roland.g · Feb 20, 2013, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon44

I'm sure they'll be gutted to not have you and the other 3 people on Earth who think are too cool for Facebook

Facebook is like a colostomy bag.
No thanks.

jklps · Feb 20, 2013, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slffl

Don't care. The sound quality from all of these streaming services (Pandora, Slacker, Songza, Spotify) pale in comparison to streaming from iTunes Match. Test it yourself. iTunes match sounds A LOT better!

iTunes Match does not allow you to listen you don't own.

Spotify does, and I use it to check out new music.

bushido · Feb 20, 2013, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilentLoner

It's hilarious to see that being repeated over and over again. I wish people would read threads.

its the twitter generation, ppl only read the headline nowadays

dinggus · Feb 20, 2013, 10:17 AM

Would be nice, I don't mind hearing ads, I just don't want to pay $10/month like I am now and rarely use it while traveling.

zapnyc · Feb 20, 2013, 10:25 AM

Spotify is the devil.

ThatsMeRight · Feb 20, 2013, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John.B

If they still require a Facebook login, I'm not interested.

Forced Facebook login is long gone. You can just register a Spotify-account.

cxny · Feb 20, 2013, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basesloaded190

How will bringing their premium service over to iPhones and iPads for free make them more money?

halo effect!

----------

I would still pay $10 to get no ads. Best deal in music since Napster!

techfreak85 · Feb 20, 2013, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bushido

except not? Spotify is in 320kbps, iTunes Match 256 kbps

Just know you only get 320kbps if you have Spotify premium, otherwise it is much lower.

http://support.spotify.com/us/learn-...-for-streaming

rwilliams · Feb 20, 2013, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdsfire

Spotify offers a free radio version on the iPhone. It's not the on-demand version like on the desktop but it's similar to Pandora or Slacker.

I found that Spotify's free radio is way better than Pandora and Slacker. I still hate their mobile interfaces, which is why I stick with Rdio. Silly, perhaps, but it matters to me.

Daveoc64 · Feb 20, 2013, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by techfreak85

Just know you only get 320kbps if you have Spotify premium, otherwise it is much lower.

http://support.spotify.com/us/learn-...-for-streaming

Why compare a premium service from one company to the free service from another?

Compare like for like.

charlituna · Feb 20, 2013, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basesloaded190

How will bringing their premium service over to iPhones and iPads for free make them more money?

Because many folks won't buy if they can't try first.

slffl · Feb 20, 2013, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bushido

except not? Spotify is in 320kbps for Premium Subscribers and 160kbps for everyone else, iTunes Match 256 kbps

Fixed it for ya. I don't subscribe to Spotify. If I ever get a free trial I'll compare it to iTunes Match.

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by jklps

iTunes Match does not allow you to listen you don't own.

Spotify does, and I use it to check out new music.

I know all the pros and cons. I have used all of the services I mentioned! I find new music using those services, especially Songza. But I end up getting it in iTunes because of the higher quality!

Also I use the integration with Siri A LOT!!

jklps · Feb 20, 2013, 11:13 AM

[/COLOR]

I know all the pros and cons. I have used all of the services I mentioned! I find new music using those services, especially Songza. But I end up getting it in iTunes because of the higher quality!

Also I use the integration with Siri A LOT!![/QUOTE]

Well to me $10 a month to continually check out new music is worth it - buying everything I try out would bankrupt me.

whooleytoo · Feb 20, 2013, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basesloaded190

You can turn that off.

Thanks. Was just curious to what extent Spotify and Facebook interacted. I only know enough about Facebook to realise it's no longer safe to leave my laptop unlocked in the office when I'm away!

PinoyAko · Feb 20, 2013, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifeinhd

Beat me to it. Looks nice, but useless to me if FB is a requirement.

I am a Spotify user but I don't use FB for the login..

Feb 20, 2013, 09:52 AM	#27
slffl macrumors 65816 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Seattle, WA	Don't care. The sound quality from all of these streaming services (Pandora, Slacker, Songza, Spotify) pale in comparison to streaming from iTunes Match. Test it yourself. iTunes match sounds A LOT better! __________________ Why waste your time posting how much you hate Apple products?
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Feb 20, 2013, 10:02 AM	#31
Plutonius macrumors 68030 Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: New Hampshire	I will never use Spotify since a facebook account is a requirement to get a Spotify account (i.e. I will never get a facebook account so no Spotify for me ).
	0

Feb 20, 2013, 10:17 AM	#39
dinggus Banned Join Date: Jan 2012	Would be nice, I don't mind hearing ads, I just don't want to pay $10/month like I am now and rarely use it while traveling.
	0

Feb 20, 2013, 10:25 AM	#40
zapnyc macrumors member Join Date: Mar 2011	Spotify is the devil.
	0

Feb 20, 2013, 11:13 AM	#48
jklps macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2007	[/COLOR] I know all the pros and cons. I have used all of the services I mentioned! I find new music using those services, especially Songza. But I end up getting it in iTunes because of the higher quality! Also I use the integration with Siri A LOT!![/QUOTE] Well to me $10 a month to continually check out new music is worth it - buying everything I try out would bankrupt me.
	1