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Spotify Is Planning a New Version of Its Free Music Service (bloomberg.com)

Posted by msmash on from the up-next dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: Spotify Technology is developing a new version of its free music service, the first big product change since the streaming company went public last week, according to people familiar with the matter. The company is tweaking the free service to make it easier to use, especially for customers on mobile phones, said the people. An announcement is expected within a couple weeks. Spotify needs to attract large numbers of new listeners to satisfy investors who value the newly public company based on user growth. The free service generates customers that the company can steer into its paid offerings. The paid version accounts for less than half of Spotify's customer base, but generated about 90 percent of its 4.09 billion euros in 2017 revenue. [...] With the updated service, free mobile listeners will be able to access playlists more quickly and have more control over what songs they hear on top playlists, mimicking Spotify's ad-free subscription product. The basic package is $9.99 a month.

3 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. The basic package is $9.99 a month. by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And here lies the problem. If I can subscribe to Netflix and watch TV shows and movies for less than $10 per month, then I want to pay less than Netflix to listen to music.

    At $5 per month I'd start to think about it. At $3 per month I wouldn't even think about it and just subscribe.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
    1. Re:The basic package is $9.99 a month. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Support FM broadcast radio which has always been free (and I don't want to hear anyone say "oh but it's not free there are commercials!", stop whining and turn down the damned volume or switch to another station if you can't handle it).

      Problem is that all the stations seem to go to commercial at the same time. I'm not willing to listen to 20-30 minutes of commercials an hour on FM radio. I quit listening in 2002 and have no plans to ever listen again. The few times I have had to (rental car) I had to turn it off. The commercial load is just ridiculous.

    2. Re:The basic package is $9.99 a month. by Samurai+Nigel · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's awful, and that's the point. When Clear Channel... sorry, "iHeartMedia" owns 75% of the channels in your market (and every market) they absolutely do time their commercials together.

      I stopped supporting FM radio a LONG time ago.