Spotify, for North Americans who have absolutely no idea what it is, is the best thing to happen to music since Napster. Imagine iTunes, but everything is free. You click on a song, it starts playing. Not kidding. You make a playlist, and it is given a permanent URL [such as this one] that you can share with friends so they can listen to your preselected tunes, without having to send any files. I can safely say that I’ve practically stopped pirating music after becoming a Spotify user last December. Sure I still grab leaked albums, and download my favorite albums in high quality FLAC, but for the majority of my music listening needs, I just depend on Spotify. I still remember the first time I even ran the application. I though to myself “this is going to get shut down really fast,” but then I went to the About page and saw that the company actually signed deals with all 4 major record companies. From someone who has more external hard drives than a Chinese bootlegger, trust me when I say this: Spotify is the best thing to happen to music. Oh and it is coming out in America by the end of this year.
All that praise aside, there are two problems: 1) It doesn’t work offline; granted, if you’re in a country where you can get a connection with little to no problem, you do not have an issue 2) You can’t use Spotify while on the go.
This video demo shows the solution to both of those problems:
I also have to congratulate the PR team. I get a ton of bullshit email from public relations people. It’s the nature of the job. The one I received from Spotify is priceless:
Good morning,
We thought you might like to take a look at our short demo of the Spotify app for the iPhone, which we’ve just submitted to Apple and look forward to seeing up and running very soon! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNCb1IdmJ_0
A little extra info:
Q: When will the Spotify app be in the App Store?
A: Our app should be available for download from the App Store in a few weeks.Q: Do you need to be a premium user to get the iPhone app?
A: Yes, mobile access on any device will require a premium subscription.Q: Can I use it on the underground or when I have no connection?
A: Yes. The application has an offline mode that allows users to temporarily cache playlists to their phone for use when there is no connection.We’ll be sure to keep you updated!
All the best,
Jim
——————————————
Jim Butcher
Communications Manager
Tel: + 46 733 778313
Press centre: www.spotify.com/about/press
Playlist: Movies for a Jilted Generation
That is how you get attention. Mobile companies should take notice.
Update: Wired scored an exclusive preview of the application and have reviewed it. Hat tip to @samin.
Update: I emailed Jim (see below) and asked when Spotify would be available for Symbian S60 (read: Nokia smartphones). He didn’t give me a date, but he said this: “We’re working on it, Stefan. In the latter stages of development now.”