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Spotify's quest to become the king of podcasts
Today, Spotify announced that it was finally making a profit, and it would use its cash to go on a spending spree. The streaming music platform was buying blockbuster podcast studio Gimlet Media as well as creation app Anchor. In doing so, Spotify can now lay claim to every part of the podcast sausage-making process that could have huge ramifications for your ears.
Spotify drops artist conduct policy following backlash
That didn't take long. After Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said it was working with civil rights groups and folks within the music industry to retool its "bad behavior" framework this week, the streaming service has scrapped it wholesale. "While we believe our intentions were good, the language was too vague, we created confusion and concern, and didn't spend enough time getting input from our own team and key partners before sharing new guidelines," a statement from the company reads.
Spotify CEO on new content policy: 'We rolled this out wrong'
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek admitted the service handled its policy to limit promotion for artists based on their conduct poorly. "We rolled this out wrong and could have done a much better job," Ek said at the Code Conference, according to Deadline. He said that the company never intended to serve as the "morality police" with the policy, and conceded that the framework was too vague at its inception.
Spotify’s challenge is to prove it’s a real business, not a fantasy
Three months after quietly filing to become a public company, Spotify finally made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday. It was a big day for the Swedish music-streaming giant, to say the least, and it ended up exceeding expectations from Wall Street analysts on its first day of trading. But for many investors, Spotify may not be the safest bet. In its IPO filing, it disclosed that it has incurred significant operating losses over the past few years, warning investors that it may be a while before it's able to generate profits on a sustained basis.
Spotify now has 40 million paid subscribers
In the world of music streaming, numbers mean everything. Major players have come and go, but Spotify and Apple are the two companies who largely dominate the market. After Tim Cook kicked off last week's iPhone 7 event with confirmation that Apple Music now has 17 million paying subscribers, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has fired back with an impressive figure of his own: 40 million people are now paying to access his service.
Spotify says iPad app is 'in the works'
Spotify held an event in New York this week to make a "special announcement," and unfortunately, it wasn't about anything having to do with the streaming music service's long awaited iPad app. It was, instead, about some deal that they're making with Coke, which will start off as some sort of branded apps. Anyway, nobody really cares about all of that (or at least, it's up to Spotify and Coke to make people care -- the marketing budget probably has plenty of money slated in it for just that reason). Nope the thing everyone wanted to know about was the iPad app, and founder Daniel Ek confirmed that it is still "in the works." Unfortunately, that's all he said about that. Spotify actually won our 2011 choice award for best music app on the iPhone, so it's not too surprising that we can't wait to see the iPad version. Hopefully it'll be along soon.
Spotify's got a 'special announcement' coming next week
Looks like Spotify's not done with its big news. Two days after launching the new Play Button, and a day after getting entirely too excited about adding the Red Hot Chili Peppers to its catalog, the music streamer sent out invites for an event in New York City featuring the company's CEO, Daniel Ek on center stage. Oh yeah, and we'll be there too, of course.
Spotify launches music download service with iPod sync, puts iTunes on notice
Look out iTunes, Spotify has just launched its new music download service in Europe. What's more, the company that had been synonymous with music streaming will let you sync your downloaded MP3 playlist bundles to your USB-connected iPod classic, nano, or shuffle via a new "Devices" section of the Spotify app running on your computer. And listen up freeloaders, Spotify Mobile iOS and Android app users can now sync playlists wirelessly without a premium subscription (after purchasing the tracks, naturally). Here's a quote from Daniel Ek, Spotify CEO, sure to create some angst in Cupertino: "From today, Spotify really is the only music player you'll ever need. Our users don't want to have to switch between music players, but they do want to take their playlists with them wherever they go, on a wider range of devices, more simply and at a price they can afford. Now we've made that possible on one of the world's most popular consumer devices." Here's the dealio on Spotify's download prices for its nine million users of the free service (not premium subscribers): 10 tracks for €9.99 or €1.00 per track (£7.99 or just under 80p per track) 15 tracks for €12.99 or €0.87 per track (£9.99 / 67p) 40 tracks for €30.00 or €0.75 per track (£25 / 63p) 100 tracks for €60.00 or €0.60 per track (£50 / 50p) All the new features will begin rolling out today as part of an automatic update. See the full press release after the break as well as a quick introduction video to get you started.
Spotify still planning to launch in the US... sometime
Wondering about the state of Spotify in the United States? You're not the only one, and Spotify CEO and co-found Daniel Ek was once again asked that key question at the D: Dive Into Mobile conference today. His response? The company does indeed still plan to launch the music streaming service in the US, but it can't say when it will happen -- he did confirm, however, that it will cost $10 a month. Ek further explained that the reason for the delay is due to the nature of the service, which requires "complex deals" with recording companies -- there apparently wasn't any mention of any other potential complicating factors.
