Music-streaming service Spotify has hit a million users, according to its UK Managing Director Paul Brown.
Speaking at the MediaGuardian's Radio Reborn conference on Monday, he revealed that the music service has gone from strength to strength since its official invitation-free launch in the UK in February this year.
According to the website PaidContent, however, Brown didn't disclose how many of the million UK users actually paid for the music content the service offers. Instead he told audiences that it was "a decent proportion".
Multiple models
For the uninitiated, Spotify is available in three ways: as an ad-funded service, where you have to listen to three adverts an hour; as a £10 a month advertising-free subscription; or a 99 pence a day subscription. Currently, there are around 2.7 million tracks available to listen to.
Currently only six countries have the 'free' version. Other than the UK, they are Sweden (where the service originates), France, Spain, Norway and Finland.
Speaking to PaidContent, Brown believes that having these different ways to approach Spotify is the key to the business, explaining "It's really about multiple models, a mixed model.
"The Spotify model is about an access point which is free, supported by advertising. The premium element isn't just about no-ads; we're only just out of the blocks, it's about a platform that will grow with other things in it."
Things that are in the pipeline are Spotify for phones and an archive of radio shows.
Via PaidContent
Your comments (2) Click to add a new comment
dale303
April 28th 2009
2. It's a great service if you like mainstream music but unfortunately for me and perhaps many other serious music lovers, it's selection of less commercial music is pretty poor. I wish them all the best but I won't be using the service until a hell of a lot more music from (true) independent labels is on there.
And yes, if there was the right music, I would pay the extra £10 per month. Whilst I'm used to hearing mainstream music next to ads on the radio, I wouldn't want ads anywhere near my techno, jazz or classical.
Alert a moderator
bitchain
April 28th 2009
1. the trouble is how many people really pay £10 for the premium edition? i don't find 3 adverts an hour *at all* annoying. nor do i listen to them, after a while they just go in through one ear and out the other. i think spotify could have done better with their model. how about limiting tracks per day for free users or a time cap? those would have made me sign up maybe. or maybe more tracks would make me sign up. they could have said "we have new releases which premium members get on the day, others get them 1 week later".
right now the model is odd as far as i am concerned because it does not motivate me to even consider premium.
i pay £10 to napster and i can also download that stuff. until spotify convinces me or forces me, napster continues to get that £10.
i would love to get away from napster too so if you're listening spotify get deep last.fm integration, get mp3s on there and a bigger track database and then you'll have my tenner.
Alert a moderator
Tell us what you think
You need to Log in or register to post comments