Spotify

Spotify ( engl. to spot, discover ' and to identify, identify ') is a music streaming service that allows you to listen to DRM - protected music from a number of major record labels, including Sony, EMI, Warner Music Group and Universal. The service was launched in October 2008 by Swedish startup Spotify AB. It is available in many countries around the world.

  • 5.1 computer
  • 5.2 smartphones and tablets
  • 5.3 web browser
  • 6.1 Geographical Availability

History

Spotify has been developed since 2006 by Spotify AB, Stockholm / Sweden. The company Spotify was founded by Daniel Ek ( former CTO of stardoll.com ) and Martin Lorentzon ( former CEO of TradeDoubler ) in Stockholm. On 2 March 2009 Spotify reaching the number of members of one million after the program was first offered in October 2008 in Sweden for download. Spotify has been developed in the course of European distribution for the German-speaking countries. Due to the legally contentious situation with GEMA services had initially again be stopped, but it is currently re-admitted and legally available in Germany. According to Axel Bringeus, Director of International Growth at Spotify, the music service " emerged as a legal alternative to piracy ."

2011 Spotify generated a turnover of about 188 million euros and yet had posted a loss of 40 million euros. A total of around 15 million users were registered worldwide, of which about 4 million ( 26.7 percent) paid subscribers. Two years later, the number of registered users had doubled and the number of subscribers increased to 7 million in further red. The company is funded by investors, which provided about 388 million euros by early 2014. This compares to an estimated market value of about 2.9 billion euros. Among the supporters are the U.S. investment banking and securities trading company Goldman Sachs, to 15 percent, the U.S. financial services company Fidelity Investments, the U.S. beverage company Coca- Cola Company, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and the German bank.

In December 2012, Spotify closed with the American thrash / heavy metal band Metallica from an exclusive contract.

Functions

Music catalog

Each user can have the titles of all the major labels and smaller labels, the repertoire is constantly expanding with new labels. The tracks can be found via a search by artist, title, album, genre, label or year of publication. Users with premium subscriptions are in the settings also choose a higher sound quality (320 kbit / s instead of ~ 160 kbit / s).

Playlists

Users can also create music playlists (playlists), replace them with other users and collaborate. For this purpose the playlist link are drawn directly into an email or an instant messaging window. Click the receiver on the link, the playlist in Spotify invites the recipient's account. This playlist links can like normal links anywhere, for example on web pages that are used. The same principle applies to individual pieces of music.

Last.fm integration

Spotify, the music heard at Last.fm " scrobbling " when in the settings of the software a Last.fm account is registered.

Spotify account

As of September 22, 2011 had new customers have a Facebook account in order to create a Spotify account can, which led to numerous complaints and fewer new customers. This restriction was lifted on 12 June 2012 for users in Germany again, and it will only require a valid e -mail address for registration.

Youth protection

Spotify has no youth protection or such settings. Since December 2013, some pieces of music are, however, marked to the EXPLICIT.

Technical information

Spotify streams music files over the Internet using a combination of server-based streaming and peer-to -peer technology (P2P ). There is a transmission speed of at least 256 kbit / s is recommended. To make this possible, music frequently used data are transferred via P2P from the cache of the computer the Spotify users. Thus, the available bandwidth when streaming is used effectively and support. Furthermore, it is possible to import on the hard disk music files stored in Spotify to play also media that are not available on Spotify.

The size of the cache memory used can be limited by the user and the location of the cache can be defined. It is recommended amount of free space on the computer hard disk; Minimum is 1 GB cache on the local hard drive.

The user must create a Spotify account to use the service. An account can (installed software and an Internet connection provided ) can be used by any number of computers, but simultaneous streaming to multiple computers is not possible. The software stops the streaming of music on one computer, once played music with the same account on a different computer. This does not affect the playing of media that have been imported from the hard drive in Spotify, but only media that are streamed over the Internet.

Financing

Spotify uses the freemium model. Simple and basic services are free to the user, advanced or additional functions are part of a premium bid. All music offered are provided by music labels are available and licensed by. The license fees are financed in two ways: either you pay their account with a subscription or accepting advertising.

Some tracks can be downloaded from the player out for a fee of 7digital, iTunes and other music download providers.

In April 2011, the business model has changed. Users who had used the service for more than six months, were only about ten hours a month listen to free music. Also, a song about the entire period of use could be played more than five times. This means that more users should be encouraged to use the Paid Unlimited or the premium account.

At the beginning of the users were allowed free access to listen to music six months after its registration, only on the basis of time credits. The starting balance was ten hours. Then, up to a maximum of ten hours per week 2.5 hours were credited. In April 2012 these restrictions were lifted in the U.S. indefinitely. One restriction is no longer for Germany since January 2014. However, the music is not like the premium version with a maximum bit rate of 320 kbit / s stream but only with a maximum bit rate of 160 kbit / s

With a premium account, there is also the possibility to be able to play music play lists in " offline mode", ie without internet connection. In addition, songs can be heard on smartphones without an internet connection.

Free users can use for 14 days abroad Spotify before you must log in his home country again. For users with a Premium subscription there is no such limitation. Using geolocation of the IP address of the user's computer is examined, from which country accessed the service.

On mobile devices may be accessed up to 48 hours free of charge on the premium version of Spotify, with registration allows the free premium version for 30 days stretch. This must be terminated by the user in time when the seizures should be avoided costs. Since December 11, 2013 Music on Android and iOS smartphones can be heard free of charge, but only with random playback. In addition, only six songs per hour can be skipped. On Tablets, with the same operating systems, the same functions as desktop computers are available.

Since late December 2013 / early January 2014, it is possible to use Spotify on mobile devices free of charge. However, it is only possible to a random play different playlists or the Discover function, the random Discover various artists, as well as a radio function.

Programs

Computer

The operating system is at least Mac OS X 10.4 or Windows XP is required. Also, Linux is supported natively or with the help of Wine, the native client is referred to as the previous version and does not offer the same functionality as the Windows version.

Smartphones and Tablets

There is an app for Android and iOS. The same applies to some Symbian, Windows Phone, Meego and BlackBerry smartphones ( s ) as well as a few webOS devices.

Web

Since September 2012 Spotify is working on a Web-based version of its streaming service. This completes the installation of proprietary apps to be unnecessary. Nearly two months later, Spotify has enabled the web-based player and invited first user via Facebook, to test the offer. Visually similar to Spotify in the browser of the iPad version, only on the right side is an extra column appear. Technically it's based on Flash and HTML 5

Availability

On 2 October 2012, the German Telekom in cooperation with Spotify launched the mobile tariff Special Complete Mobile Music, with which it is possible to stream unlimited music on Spotify, because the data traffic caused thereby will not be counted against the included volume of the tariff. Observers see this as a violation of the principle of net neutrality. In January 2013 Orange Switzerland also began a partnership with Spotify.

The Swedish car manufacturer Volvo has tried to introduce Spotify to an implementation date for the automotive market. According to Volvo, are likely future models as standard to use the streaming service. This is done with the help of the Ericsson technology "Connected Vehicle cloud " allows.

Geographic Availability

Currently can one account for Spotify in Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Portugal, the United States, New Zealand and Australia to create. In Austria Spotify since November 15, 2011, in Belgium and Switzerland since 16 November 2011. In Germany Spotify launched its offer on 13 March 2012 after the start was delayed due to the fee negotiations. On February 12, 2013 Spotify was released in Poland, Portugal and Italy. Since April 16, 2013 Spotify is also available in Mexico, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Iceland. On September 24, 2013 Spotify launched its service with Argentina for the first time in a South American country as well as in Greece, Taiwan and Turkey.

Criticism

Solely in connection with a Facebook account Use Spotify in Germany was initially possible, which had massive criticism from privacy advocates result. Peter Schaar was of the view, the service was contrary to the German Telemedia Act, other data protection officer dissuaded from using them. In June 2012, Spotify lifted this restriction in Germany. It can be circumvented in other countries with the registration through a proxy server from a country where there is no such restriction. The country of origin can then change with the deposit of a credit card number. For users of the ad-supported version, there is no such possibility. Spotify disabled after a prolonged use of the " foreign " free access.

Research by the Hessischer Rundfunk from April 2013, according to an artist gets, at best, only 0.00164 euros per stream. For comparison: Sold an artist an album with 13 songs on CD, keep him in the best case around 3 euros. Will it streamed, it is around 0.02 euros. The album must therefore be streamed around 145 times, so that the artist comes to a similar yield. The record label ultimately about whether the music on Spotify is offered decides. The figures come from a settlement that has provided the Hessischer Rundfunk a band. Against this, however, was argued that the revenue per stream would be significantly higher than those per abgespieltem song on the radio.

Criticism of the compensation model was also expressed by various artists and musicians. The drummer of the Black Keys, Patrick Carney explained the decision of his band, do not provide the album El Camino on Spotify, so that streaming services for " a band that thrives on music, have no sense financially. " Even the singer Thom Yorke announced that the music of his band Atoms for Peace will be unavailable on Spotify due to poor remuneration. Via Twitter, he announced: "Do not illusions. New artist who discovered her on Spotify, are not paid. "

Beginning in December 2013 Spotify responded with a detailed statement of revenues, expenditures and distributions to the artist. According to this, some 70 % of the proceeds directly to the artists per song heard of, this currently from 0.6 to 0.83 cents would receive for each streamed song.

In the criticism of the ban on Spotify in the U.S. House of Representatives was the end of January 2013. The reason the used peer-to- peer technology and related concerns about data protection was called. In addition to the online streaming service and the music association RIAA was greatly incensed and was reluctant to accept the behavior. In April 2013, this lock was canceled again after Spotify deactivated the use of peer -to-peer when accessing via the network of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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