Spotify for iPhone, iPad update to offer radio feature, more streaming (Update)
Spotify is upping the ante in the music streaming market by offering a new radio feature to iOS owners in the US. Launched late last year for the desktop, the Pandora-like radio service lets you setup an unlimited number of radio stations based on an artist, album, song or playlist. You can then listen to these stations on your iPhone or iPad while on the go.
Users can thumb through tracks and mark the ones they like and skip the ones they don't. Premium users get an unlimited number of skips, while free users are limited to "the industry standard." Free users will also see ads within the app.
Because the radio service is available on multiple devices, you can start listening to a radio station on your iPhone and then pick it up on your iPad. The radio feature will debut in the next version of Spotify for iOS which will land in the iOS App Store soon. This feature will also come to Android "in due time."
Update: The app has gone live and is available for you to download from the iOS App Store.
[Via Engadget]
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Spotify Launches Free Mobile Radio in the US
Starting today, Spotify users in the US can play for free on iPhone and iPad. The latest update to Spotify's iOS app includes the new radio feature, giving free users in the US access to an unlimited amount of music on the move. The update is now available for download in the App Store.
The new radio feature for iOS is seamlessly integrated into the Spotify service, creating an unmatched user experience of listening, discovering, saving and sharing music, from a catalog of more than 16 million songs.
Spotify users on iPhone and iPad can now:
Create limitless streaming radio stations from single songs, playlists, albums or artists
Create an unlimited number of stations and listen as long as they like
Save tracks to Spotify playlists - any song that users "like" will be saved, so they can find the songs later
Personalize stations in real time by "liking" tracks to hear similar music
Browse friends' playlists and create radio stations based on their tastes
Hear great new songs from Spotify's state-of-the-art recommendation engine, based on what millions of real people are listening to
Access a catalog of over 16 million tracks
"Our focus has always been on creating an amazing user experience," said Charlie Hellman, VP, Product at Spotify. "The radio feature we've added to our iPhone and iPad apps gives users the ability to discover, listen and save what they like on the go - all within one app - for free."
Premium users of the Spotify iOS app will continue to have an ad-free experience. Free users in the US will hear advertisements from the following launch partners: Chevrolet, Durex, Heineken, Jim Beam, Lipton Iced Tea, Macy's, McDonalds, Progressive, Red Bull, Taco Bell, Verizon Wireless, and Warner Bros – all of which are current Spotify advertisers.
The new Spotify radio feature will also be available to Premium users outside of the United States.
