Stream for free on smartphone SpotifySpotify’s new free mobile experience lets you listen to all your tunes, playlists, and artists – scott free on iPhone or Android smartphones and tablets.
However, you can’t listen to on-demand music on the free service – you still need to fork out $9.99 a month.
The move looks to be a way to boost users numbers by luring them with free and then to a paid service. Spotify has benefited from a partnership with Facebook, but competition in the streaming sphere is fierce.
Spotify’s internet streaming music service currently has 24 million active users, and over 6 million paying subscribers.
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“Today we’re giving people the best free music experience in the history of the smartphone and the tablet,” said Daniel Ek, CEO & Founder at Spotify.
“Whether you’re going to the gym, or having a party with friends. Just sit back and let Spotify serve you great music for every moment of your life.”
Tablets are becoming the new desktops. Tablets are where people lean in, search and build playlists, Spotify said in a statement.
Launched in Sweden in 2008, the service is now available in 55 countries. It is up against fierce competition especially in Australia, where there are a matrix of music streaming options – from JB Hi-Fi Now, to Pandora, Rdio and Telstra MOG.
The news come as another music streamer- Rdio – too is looking to boost its presence in the Aussie market, and launched to 20 new countries this week.
Rdio has a clean, user friendly interface and supports Australian music – including sponsorship of the ARIA’s – which makes it different from Spotify and Co, says Colin Blake, Rdio’s Head of Territory Australia & New Zealand.
“Australia is seen as prized territory – there’s lots of streaming services here, probably more than anywhere in the world,” he told Smarthouse.
The streaming market is still “modest” here – there’s a lot of work to do, he said.
