Spotify Officially Files for IPO With 71 Million Premium Subscribers and 159 Million Monthly Active Users

[QCassidy352]

Did you frequent the Discover Weekly playlist? Or the “Release Radar”? Their algorithms are literally hundreds of times better at suggesting music than any other company out there, and I’m willing to bet a significant amount of their money went to AI research. You sound like a paid AM employee as well.

1) not everyone has to have the same opinion. It’s ok.
2) I prefer pandora to AM.
3) I don’t think you know what the word “literally” means.

 

[amax12.1]

This has to be a joke. Or you’re some kind of Apple employee. Spotify is many times better than AM.
[doublepost=1519854298][/doublepost]

they’re profitable. Ultimately they’ll have a monopoly on streaming and probably reach 50bn in revenue someday. It takes time to build the infrastructure until they become profitable. It’s all about growth race right now - all their money is going into beating the default installed Apple Music and others.
[doublepost=1519854406][/doublepost]

Did you frequent the Discover Weekly playlist? Or the “Release Radar”? Their algorithms are literally hundreds of times better at suggesting music than any other company out there, and I’m willing to bet a significant amount of their money went to AI research. You sound like a paid AM employee as well.

 

[thekeyring]

Losses have increased as premium subscribers have increased

I can't wait to short the hell out of this

Perhaps I am wrong, but haven’t losses increased more slowly - imply there might be a point where the number of subscribers means they are profitable? Honest question.

I agree with you, though - if they still aren’t profitable what happens to the stock price?
[doublepost=1519886986][/doublepost]

This has to be a joke. Or you’re some kind of Apple employee. Spotify is many times better than AM.

I’m interested when people say one is better than the other. In my mind, it’s like saying one Apple store is better than another. Sure, there might be minor differences, but ultimately you’re getting the same thing for the same price - right? You’re paying £9.99 a month instead of buying songs from the iTunes Store. They have a catalogue which you search. That’s it.

So for me, Apple Music is better because there’s no Spotify app for my Apple TV, and the Music app is default on iOS. But if I used Android, I’ve no idea how I would pick.
[doublepost=1519887138][/doublepost]

I wonder if Apple takes a loss from Apple Music. If companies that don’t support a free tier can’t even break even with paid subscribers only. What does that say about the streaming business model in general

I believe Apple have said there’s no money in it, but they do it for other reasons.

 

[Rainshadow]

Splitting hairs? Maybe I worded it wonky but my intent is the same. I meant to say their business model WILL be profitable, or perhaps already is, but they’re happy operating in the red out of necessity. Twitter didn’t make a dime until a few months ago. It’s all about user base and growth. Just look at their numbers - they’re over 1/10th of a billion users and are growing at a crazy rate.

Why would anyone use the phrase 1/10th of a billion? Unless they are trying to convince themselves it sounds better than it is. That’s just 100,000,000. A big number, but to call it 1/10 of a billion? And aren’t most of those users the free tier?


I don’t really care about the AM vs Spotify arguement. I think streaming is ridiculous. I’m just along to see this market balance itself out. Maybe when it does I’ll reconsider. Interesting nevertheless.

 

[19callum93]

I absolutely love everything Apple, but Apple Music is the only one thing that I don’t love. I trailed Apple Music for 3 months and found the application/platform to be very unapple-like. Personally I found Apple Music very unorganised and complicated. I find the user experience of Spotify very simple and easy to use. Such as being able to save all songs to listen offline, with Spotify this can be achieved with one click. At the time when I trailed Apple Music this had to be done for every single song individually I trailed Apple Music when it was first released... I had songs on my Spotify playlist that I couldn’t find on Apple Music, whaaaaaaa Could anyone advise if Apple Music has since improved?

 

[pratikindia]

Spotify interface, music discovery and personalization is way better than Apple Music. Spotify Rocks

 

[Alan Wynn]

I find the user experience of Spotify very simple and easy to use. Such as being able to save all songs to listen offline, with Spotify this can be achieved with one click.

It is now two clicks. One click incorporates the album into one’s personal library and a second click downloads it for offline use.

At the time when I trailed Apple Music this had to be done for every single song individually I trailed Apple Music when it was first released...

Now that is has been around for several years, you might want to look at it again. However, if you do not have an Apple Watch, an Apple TV and/or have no plans to buy a HomePod, are happy with Spotify and do not mind paying more (iTunes gift cards are routinely available for 15% off and can be used to pay for Apple Music), do not worry about it.

I had songs on my Spotify playlist that I couldn’t find on Apple Music, whaaaaaaa Could anyone advise if Apple Music has since improved?

I cannot say if that will still be true for you today. I know that there are quite a few songs on Apple Music that I cannot find on Spotify, but none that I have found on Spotify that are not on Apple Music. I am also told that Spotify’s discovery service is better than that on Apple Music. I have not seen a big difference myself, but it is not a big deal for me. My biggest reasons for paying for Apple Music and not Spotify (I have the free tier and I play with it every once in a while), is that it is on all my devices, including my Apple Watch, AppleTV and HomePod.

 

[Merode]

Only amongst Apple fans can you find people who genuinely wish superior service bad luck in favor of 'anything-by-Apple'. AM has only become barely usable since iOS 11. Before that UI has been a convulted mess worthy of 'iTunes badge of quality'. Spotify still has far superior UI, recommendations and it works on way more devices (for example, my Sony TV).

You'd have to have Apple logo tattooed on yourself to say AM is better than Spotify at anything after trying both. Some people really believe Apple is more benevolent than Pope. No wonder some people say there's 'Apple cult'.

I wonder what else can Apple tackle. The next step is news network? Social portal competing with Facebook? How about they concentrate on Mac?

 

[firewire9000]

This has to be a joke. Or you’re some kind of Apple employee. Spotify is many times better than AM.
[doublepost=1519854298][/doublepost]

they’re profitable. Ultimately they’ll have a monopoly on streaming and probably reach 50bn in revenue someday. It takes time to build the infrastructure until they become profitable. It’s all about growth race right now - all their money is going into beating the default installed Apple Music and others.
[doublepost=1519854406][/doublepost]

Did you frequent the Discover Weekly playlist? Or the “Release Radar”? Their algorithms are literally hundreds of times better at suggesting music than any other company out there, and I’m willing to bet a significant amount of their money went to AI research. You sound like a paid AM employee as well.

Yes, it’s a joke, I’m a bot and a Apple employee.

 

[Alan Wynn]

...it works on way more devices (for example, my Sony TV).

You'd have to have Apple logo tattooed on yourself to say AM is better than Spotify at anything after trying both.

You are quite right, Spotify works any many more devices, just not the ones that matter to me. It does not work on my Apple Watch, it does not work on my Apple TV and it does not work on my Home Pod. At least two of those are completely Spotify’s choice. In addition, Apple Music integrates with iTunes Match and so easily lets me include music of my own in my playlists, including recordings of various concerts off the sound boards and other rare items. Those are the two reasons I prefer Apple Music to Spotify.

I am glad Spotify meets your needs well, but it does not meet mine.

To be clear, I wish them well. I like having competition in the market. I am not that clear they will do well, because of their financials, but I hope they pull it off.

I do find it funny that so many of Spotify’s supporters seem to wish Apple would eliminate Apple Music rather than improve it. Again, I want the strongest possible competition on both sides to push them both to improve.

How about they concentrate on Mac?

Apple is a reasonably big company. There is no reason they cannot do both. I love my iMac Pro, but would love to see a new Mac Mini and a laptop that has at least 32GB of RAM.

 

[NMSUballa]

"but posted a loss of $1.5 billion in 2017" - don't get it - the losses will continue to mount as the licensing costs continue to soar - this is the textbook definition of a money losing business.

TSLA lost billions as well yet it’s price is $345/share

 

[Krayzkat]

I’m a bit cautious about this as Spotify aren’t releasing any new shares, but only allowing existing share holders to cash out.

Like a sinking ship?


Maybe Spotify could become a bit like Netflix and cut out the middle man production companies?

 

[laz232]

A company that takes in $XXX but still manages to lose $YYY overall is not a profitable company. Who the hell would invest in that?!?

FYI MacRumors—can you post how much they lost in 2015 and 2016 as well.

Well seems to work for Tesla. The new economy: who needs sustainability when you have growth

Professional cynic...

 

[Bawstun]

1) not everyone has to have the same opinion. It’s ok.
2) I prefer pandora to AM.
3) I don’t think you know what the word “literally” means.

I do know what literally means. As in Spotify literally spent millions and perfected their algorithms to be better than AM. Music is all Spotify does, Apple Music is a placeholder that is a confusing horrible mess to use. LITERALLY!

 

[adamjackson]

Lol. They lose money every year..Twitter had the same issue when they went public. Good luck Spotify.

 

[omihek]

This has to be a joke. Or you’re some kind of Apple employee. Spotify is many times better than AM.
[doublepost=1519854298][/doublepost]

they’re profitable. Ultimately they’ll have a monopoly on streaming and probably reach 50bn in revenue someday. It takes time to build the infrastructure until they become profitable. It’s all about growth race right now - all their money is going into beating the default installed Apple Music and others.
[doublepost=1519854406][/doublepost]

Did you frequent the Discover Weekly playlist? Or the “Release Radar”? Their algorithms are literally hundreds of times better at suggesting music than any other company out there, and I’m willing to bet a significant amount of their money went to AI research. You sound like a paid AM employee as well.

Accusing anyone who likes Apple Music better than Spotify of being a paid Apple employee? Please. If anyone is being paid to post on this forum, it's you.

 

[0970373]

I do know what literally means. As in Spotify literally spent millions and perfected their algorithms to be better than AM. Music is all Spotify does, Apple Music is a placeholder that is a confusing horrible mess to use. LITERALLY!

That's actually not true. They also have podcasts & original video content. Their algos & playlists are way better but they integrate with zero of the things I need them to integrate with. I can also easily move them over with Houdini. Everyone has to choose what's best for them. I'm not sure why you're so upset about people who like AM better or find that it suits their lifestyle better.

If Spotify had an ATV + AW app and could be controlled by Siri when I'm driving, I'd switch back in a heartbeat. But they don't. They killed the Snowy watch app on purpose. Bad move.

 

[RudySnow]

I do know what literally means. As in Spotify literally spent millions and perfected their algorithms to be better than AM. Music is all Spotify does, Apple Music is a placeholder that is a confusing horrible mess to use. LITERALLY!

I absolutely love everything Apple, but Apple Music is the only one thing that I don’t love. I trailed Apple Music for 3 months and found the application/platform to be very unapple-like. Personally I found Apple Music very unorganised and complicated. I find the user experience of Spotify very simple and easy to use. Such as being able to save all songs to listen offline, with Spotify this can be achieved with one click. At the time when I trailed Apple Music this had to be done for every single song individually I trailed Apple Music when it was first released... I had songs on my Spotify playlist that I couldn’t find on Apple Music, whaaaaaaa Could anyone advise if Apple Music has since improved?

It has. “Trail” it once more for a month and you’ll see.

 

[Bawstun]

No, their ****** algorithms continue to suck more than Pandora. All it tends to suggest are artists you’ve already known. Spotify has way better curating and many more/better playlists for many moods and genres. It’s amazing.

 

[RudySnow]

No, their ****** algorithms continue to suck more than Pandora. All it tends to suggest are artists you’ve already known. Spotify has way better curating and many more/better playlists for many moods and genres. It’s amazing.

I do believe that Spotify has better playlists. But monthly I review the ones I’m interested in and then use STAMP or Houdini to transfer them to Apple Music so I can Airplay them in my home and control the music on my Apple Watch or just listen on my Apple TVs. I can’t do that with Spotify, a limitation they have put on themselves. Spotify is a good streaming service for playlist curation, but for me, it doesn’t go as far as Apple’s ecosystem allows, so another ding for ol’ Spot.

 

[Carnegie]

Spotify is set to start trading, using the ticker symbol SPOT, on April 3rd.