In a decision that might soon cause a raucous in the free internet radio movement, Last.fm has announced that it will be cutting off unofficial third-party mobile applications that stream Last.fm content and will start charging €3 per month for service outside the US, UK and Germany. Last.fm says that mobile streaming is getting the chop to comply with “licensing agreements.”
Last.fm has so far “tolerated third-party clients using the undocumented [API] calls” to tap into the internet radio broadcaster’s stream, according to the company’s blog. But, that will soon change as the company makes “a public, documented streaming API available to everyone who has an API account.” Unfortunately, that means that Last.fm will be closing those undocumented APIs, and will prevent streaming to mobile phones.
Still, it’s unclear just how restrictive Last.fm will be with their mobile streaming limitations. The company updated their blog post to add that “mobile device restriction isn’t set in stone.” We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out for Last.fm.