Spotify Music Service

“A new way to listen to music”
Free; $4.99 or $9.99 per month

 

 

Spotify is a music service that breaks the constraints previously placed on us by services like iTunes and Pandora.  It allows a user to build a personal collection of music that can be stored on your computer for free or can be expanded to your mobile devices (for $9.99 per month) without having to pay for each individual song or album.  In this regard, it operates in a similar fashion to iTunes expect that you don’t pay per song or album.  Instead, you simply select a song and add it to a playlist or subscribe to one of the many playlists that have already been created and shared by other Spotify users.  For users that want to continually experience new music, Spotify has a radio function that allows you to build stations around the music you like, and similar to Pandora, you are the presented with new music for your review and listening pleasure.  A benefit over Pandora, you can always request a specific song or playlist to play immediately.

 

I personally have been a Spotify Premium subscriber since August 2011 and really enjoy it.  Spotify has replaced both iTunes and Pandora and is even starting to replace my XM Radio subscription in my car.  Having full and immediate access to a library of millions of songs and albums is simply more convenient than paying by the track or album…especially if you download a song that you end up not liking or requested by mistake.  Spotify recently added an “Apps” feature so that developers and music groups can continue adding and expanding an already great service.

Songs can be downloaded to your computer (and mobile devices) or streamed as you request them.  And for songs that you listen to frequently, Spotify does ensure those are cached locally to minimize network traffic and improve performance.  As with most products, there is a social aspect to Spotify but it is optional.  Users can register with their Facebook IDs if they choose to and share their playlists and listening habits.  Even if you are not linked to Facebook, you can still share your playlists with friends and other Spotify users.  And these playlists update as you make changes so as you update your “Top Hits” playlist, your friends will see those changes as well when they listen to playlist.

 

A basic Spotify account is free but is supported by ads.  When I initially tested the service, ads were fairly unobtrusive.  Ads were typically 20 – 60 seconds and were introduced once or twice per hour.  For $4.99 per month you can remove the ads and get truly unlimited, uninterrupted listening.  And for $9.99 per month you can upgrade to Spotify Premium which is also unlimited and ad free but also allows you to take your music with you on multiple mobile devices (including iOS, Android and older MP3 devices such as the iPod) and the music you receive has a higher bit rate which means you get a higher quality listening experience.  Spotify Premium also allows you to listen to your music when offline, so your music is available to you anytime on your computer or mobile device even if you do not have an Internet connection.

 

Pros: 

  • Free version is great for testing.
  • Millions of tracks available and over 10,000 added daily.
  • Playlists are collaborative and update as changes are made so they never get stale.
  • The “Apps” feature will allow the service to be expanded.
  • Combines the best of music services like iTunes and Pandora.

 

Cons:

  • As with all subscription services, the music labels might decide to restrict availability.
  • Mobile devices are not supported expect with Spotify Premium for $9.99 per month.

 

Supported Platforms:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Blackberry
  • Symbian
  • Windows Mobile
  • Palm

 

Overall, Spotify, especially Spotify Premium, has proven to be a great service.  I, along with many friends and colleagues, have used it to house and grow our music collections quite easily.  

Do I recommend: YES!

 

Where to sign up and get more details: SPOTIFY’S WEBSITE

Already use Spotify and looking for Playlists, checkout SHAREMYPLAYLISTS.

 

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