Spotify for iPhone, iPad goes subscription-free, with shuffle-only limitation

Posted:
in iPhone edited July 2014
Streaming music service Spotify announced on Wednesday that iPhone and iPad users can now access its content without having to pay for a subscription, though there are restrictions on how music can be played from a mobile device.

Spotify


When using the official Spotify app for iOS, users can now access "shuffle play" of their favorite artists without a paid subscription. With what's being called Spotify's "free mobile experience," users can access playlists and artists, though they cannot be played in a set order.

When selecting an artist, their entire catalog can be played for free using the shuffle play mode. That's different from Apple's iTunes Match and Pandora, two streaming services that allow users to search for an artist and then play songs by similar artists in a personalized Internet radio station.

Spotify's free service also allows users to listen to the playlists they and their friends have created in shuffle mode, and new playlists can also be discovered through the app.

Previously, any user who wanted to access Spotify on their iPhone, iPad or other mobile device needed to have a paid subscription to the service. Now, users can access ad-supported content, albeit in a more limited form, without paying any fees.

Spotify first signaled in February of this year that the company was interested in bringing free ad-supported music streaming to its iPhone app. At the time, the company was reportedly renegotiating its licensing agreements with the recording industry for expanded use.

Concurrent with Wednesday's announcement, Spotify also revealed that content from legendary rockers Led Zeppelin is now available from the streaming service. The longtime digital holdouts first debuted their content on Apple's iTunes Store in 2007.

The last major update to Spotify for iOS users came in July, when the company's "Discover" feature came to mobile devices. It allows users to receive endless recommendations based on the music they listen to, as well as new single and album releases, as well as tour dates, from artists they follow.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    This is a great development!
  • Reply 2 of 18
    No thanks. Is rather support a platform that actually helps artists.
  • Reply 3 of 18
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    rmb0037 wrote: »
    No thanks. Is rather support a platform that actually helps artists.

    Yeah, Spotify reportedly uses some creative accounting when it comes to artist's royalties. You got me wondering how iRadio pays music companies. The latest I could find was this:

    EDIT: Latest one is this and it's pretty pitiful even tho it may be the going industry rate:
    Apple is offering independent musicians a non-negotiable royalty rate of $0.0013 per stream on iTunes Radio, according to Digital Music News. Apple will also offer a 15 percent share of net advertising revenue for the first year; in subsequent years, the rate rises to $0.0014 plus a 19 percent share of net advertising revenues. iTunes Radio was announced earlier this month.

    iTunes Radio will also allow listeners up to six song skips each hour, provided they skip within the first 20 seconds of a song. This also allows Apple to not pay for song skips. According to Billboard, the minimum royalty rate includes 45 percent of net advertising revenue plus $21.25 for each 1,000 listener hours in the first year and $22.25 for the remainder of the license agreement.

    Also, Digital Music News reports Apple is threatening to punish iRadio holdouts by removing their music from the iTunes music store.

    Below is a portion of the non-negotiable form contract sent to independent and non-major label artists:

    700

    Additional article on iRadio royalties here:
    http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1568199/apple-itunes-radios-licensing-agreements-with-indie-labels-emerge
  • Reply 4 of 18
    I don't understand why the article compared iTunes Match with Pandora or Spotify. Do you mean iTunes Radio instead??? Tks!
  • Reply 5 of 18
    gatorguy wrote: »
    Latest one is this and it's pretty pitiful even tho it may be the going industry rate:
    Apple is offering independent musicians a non-negotiable royalty rate of $0.0013 per stream on iTunes Radio, according to Digital Music News.

    Wow that could seriously add up, with over 200 million iPhones and iPads sold!
  • Reply 6 of 18
    I don't understand why the article compared iTunes Match with Pandora or Spotify. Do you mean iTunes Radio instead??? Tks!

    These screw ups are quite common here at AI, so better get used to it. Welcome to the forum.
  • Reply 7 of 18
    So what is Apple being paid to vend these songs? I don't and won't use this service -- simply not interested -- but these prices to indies may add up over time.
  • Reply 8 of 18
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    I just registered in Spotify app and received email saying thanks for signing up for 2 day free trial. I don't get it?
  • Reply 9 of 18
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    So what is Apple being paid to vend these songs? I don't and won't use this service -- simply not interested --

    Apple?
  • Reply 10 of 18
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post

    I just registered in Spotify app and received email saying thanks for signing up for 2 day free trial. I don't get it?

     

    Are you in the US?
  • Reply 11 of 18
    Originally Posted by waldobushman View Post

    So what is Apple being paid to vend these songs?

     

    So what does Apple have to do with Spotify?

  • Reply 12 of 18
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    hill60 wrote: »
    <div class="quote-container" data-huddler-embed="/t/161138/spotify-for-iphone-ipad-goes-subscription-free-with-shuffle-only-limitation#post_2445516" data-huddler-embed-placeholder="false"><span>Quote:</span><div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Ireland</strong> <a href="/t/161138/spotify-for-iphone-ipad-goes-subscription-free-with-shuffle-only-limitation#post_2445516"><img src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" class="inlineimg" alt="View Post"/></a><br/><br/>I just registered in Spotify app and received email saying thanks for signing up for 2 day free trial. I don't get it?</div></div><p> </p>

    Are you in the US?

    Why?
  • Reply 13 of 18
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post





    Why?

     

    Different strokes for different folks, thanks to the way worldwide music distribution works, an agreement in one country doesn't mean it will be the same in another.

  • Reply 14 of 18
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post



    I just registered in Spotify app and received email saying thanks for signing up for 2 day free trial. I don't get it?

    Most likely you have a premium access for free for 2 days. And then you will have a 'normal' access. So what is that you are wondering about?

  • Reply 15 of 18
    Re: Spotify "shuffle play." I don't mind listening to the occasionally ad in exchange for the free focus on a particular artist. But... why must they crank up the volume so much for the commercial? Bad, Spotify.
  • Reply 16 of 18
    sean06sean06 Posts: 3member
    thanks for the article. For those who live outside US and want to access Spotify, you can use UnoTelly as I do to get around the geo block.
  • Reply 17 of 18
    sean06sean06 Posts: 3member
    thanks for the article. For those who live outside US and want to access Spotify, you can use UnoTelly as I do to get around the geo block.
  • Reply 18 of 18
    sean06sean06 Posts: 3member

    thanks for the article. For those who live outside US and want to access Spotify, you can use UnoTelly as I do to get around the geo block.

Sign In or Register to comment.