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Spotify could kill iTunes

Wed, 11 Feb 2009

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My, my! The music industry continues to evolve at a breakneck pace. The latest development hails from Sweden and is called Spotify. This has been in Beta for a while but is now available to any user in the UK. And it is well worth looking at.

Spotify is a new music service that serves up any song, artist or album you can think of. And Apple better take note, because it's just made iTunes look archaic, old-fashioned and almost obsolete.

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All you have to do is sign up for the service, download the Mac OS X program and sign in – then a world of music is yours for free.

The program is remarkably like iTunes, but instead of keeping your songs on your hard drive, you stream them over the internet. All of this costs nothing (well, it is ad supported, but free nonetheless) you simply search for a song or an artist, or a whole album, and play it.

All of this wouldn’t be that interesting if it didn’t have good music. But somehow the Swedes have managed to convince the entire music industry to jump on board: Warner, EMI, Sony BMG and Universal, plus smaller players such as CD Baby, Merlin and The Orchard.

Anybody MIA? Well, I couldn’t find The Beatles, but then Paul McCartney’s apparently still in negotiations with iTunes so I wouldn’t hold your breath. Or interest. AC/DC are oddly available, even though they pulled out of iTunes recently.

It’s not just back catalogues either. I managed to listen to Morrissey’s new release: I’m throwing my arms around Paris; and the home page has new albums from Rihanna, Lily Allen and a recently remixed Erasure Album.

What’s the catch? Well it plays an audio advert every half an hour, which can be a bit distracting if you’re in the middle of a compelling album. But you can pay £9.99 per month to listen ad-free – although I get the impression most people will put up with the ads.

Spotify

The Spotify interface has a familiar look and feel, but you don't need to import songs or pay for them.

Even if you take the money aspect out of the equation (which Spotify does). There's something refreshing about Spotify. No more importing songs from CD (handy if, like me, you own a MacBook Air); no more tags and metadata to input; no more missing artwork to worry about; no more "managing" your iTunes library. The hours I'll save are just as important as the money.

As is the hard drive space. Although I recently shifted my iTunes library to a NAS drive at home, although having multiple copies of iTunes on different Macs doesn't really work with just one music library. That's not a problem any more.

You can also create playlists and create a radio station out of similar songs (like Last.Fm). It also includes Scrobbling integration with the Last.Fm app, which opens it up to those users who like their music tastes to be shared across both apps. I'll admit to knowing nothing about Scrobbling, and Googling it hasn't enlightened me. If somebody could explain it in a sentence in the comments I'd appreciate it.

One odd omission is that it doesn't link to a service to download music. You'd think this would be an obvious revenue stream for Spotify, but maybe it has its sights set a little higher than simply being a referrer for iTunes or Amazon. You can use a program like Ambrosia Software's superb WireTap to record the audio streaming from Spotify. But apart from getting songs to your iPod I don't really see the point. I see Spotify as a replacement for iTunes, not an augmentation to it. If you want a song that badly pay for it via iTunes or Amazon – if you just want to listen to it use Spotify. That works for me.

So is Spotify the future of the music industry? Well, I still think people want to download songs for now, if only to play on their iPhone and iPod. But what if an iPhone or iPod version of Spotify came out? One that enabled ubiquitous music streaming anywhere via the 3G network. Would Apple allow it? I’m not so sure.

Steve Jobs famously said “people want to own their music,” but do they really? Spotify is so good I can’t see myself opening iTunes again, other than to listen to Podcasts and Audiobooks.

This is a hell of a challenge to iTunes. Apple better take notice of Spotify and act quickly. Or it’s going to lose its foothold in the music industry.

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Posted by: Mark Hattersley

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Comments received


Robert Chambers said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

An interesting take on his service Mark but I doubt the broader public will share your enthusiasm.

A streaming music service has huge drawbacks for the average user wanting music on the move. It may well attract a desktop user base but a steaming iPod? Not likely. No, without a download component this service is destined to be an interesting sidelight but nothing more.

A serious challenger to iTunes? Not even a lightweight contender.

Drew said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Just tried it - its fantastic - itunes RIP (and about time) could do with a way to temporarily save the files to transfer to an ipod or make a cd for the car.

Synthmeister said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Wouldn't using WireTap be illegal in this instance?
And yes, not having the ability to "take it with you" is a serious disadvantage. Do they already have a mobile version?

BTW, Apple does have ways to listen to your iTunes library on multiple computers without copying the files everywhere.

Mario said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

I like to own my music. Spotify sounds like it's just radio, and I don't listen to radio unless it's news.

MarkHattersley said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Well, I guess the key difference is that on radio somebody else picks the songs (and on Last.FM you pick the one song, and an algorithm picks the rest). Whereas with this you can pick any song you want, or any album. And listen to the whole thing.

Believe me, it's more like iTunes than radio. Only if you had copy of iTunes with every CD sold in the last 50 years imported into it.

I guess the one drawback is that it's only on the desktop so far. So it's replaced iTunes on my desktop, but not on my iPhone. If an iPhone version were available I'm not sure if I'd have any reason to open iTunes at all (other than, as I said, Podcasts and Audiobooks).

Time will tell. But I've seen countless variations of the subscription model come and go, and this is the first one I've ever thought posed a real threat to iTunes.

Craig Eves said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

I have been using Spotify for a short while now - and whilst it's great, enjoy using iTunes too. iTunes pretty much invented digital music, and I don't think it will go down without a fight!

MarkHattersley said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

@ Synthmeister. i just wanted to point out that while you can Share a library on multiple computers in iTunes - it's not that good at having multiple computers manage a single library. Or pushing changes made in one library to another computer. It's a major drawback when you try networking an iTunes library.]

Spotify solves this by removing the concept of having a library in the first place. Instead of streaming from my NAS drive I'd be just streaming from the Web.

Don said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Wow. We had something like this years ago. We called it "Radio."

Slinky said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Wow! Just downloaded it and... Wow!

@Don. This is to iTunes what iTunes was to the CD Player. If you think this is like Radio then you need to download a copy and take another look.

Dave said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

I am a Mac user, but have been a Windows user and have been using Napster for a couple of years now. You may be interested to know, that the new version of Napster has a web client that can now be used from Safari in Mac OS X - yes, it streams the DRM protected tracks!!!

Ian said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Those people saying this is just 'radio' - download it, use it, be amazed. I've never found a radio station that lets me listen to an entire album just when I chose (or at all).

The one drawback is, of course, not being able to put any of the music on my iPod (well not legally - not yet?)

Seriously, try this out. It's probably not an iTunes killer (it's taken me ages to appreciate the advantages of streaming) but as a service alongside iTunes? Excellent :-)

Andy P said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Cool concept and all, but I'm scared this is going to hurt the Bands and Artists - and this is the whole reason we listen to their music - because we like them. How can we be sure that their royalties are collected and distributed fairly? If a song or album is downloaded, there are footprints, but streaming?? Without the musicians taking their quite rightly deserved 'cut' how are they going to afford to have the freedom to create new material if they can't put food on their plates and pay the bills and are forced have to go and get a day job at Tesco or something.

PAY FOR YOUR MUSIC!

Whichever way you obtain it.

Just my 2 pence worth...

George said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Tried this out by typing in Mothers Of Invention to test depth of music available. Asked if I meant Mathews Of Intention.
Even iTunes has some Mothers stuff available!

chrismlost99 said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

I would much rather buy my music from iTunes and own it. Streaming is no good to me at all, I travel a lot and I have my iPod(s) I can't stream to them so I am sticking to iTunes, besides I have Last FM which has been great at making me buy more from iTunes.

Steven said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Great software but the music stutters during downloads. So I won't be scrapping iTunes any time soon. But combined with Airfoil I now have it streaming to two Airport Expresses and an Apple TV and listening to music I like but not enough to buy. Magic.

chrismlost99 said on Wednesday, 11 February 2009

I would much rather buy my music from iTunes and own it. Streaming is no good to me at all, I travel a lot and I have my iPod(s) I can't stream to them so I am sticking to iTunes, besides I have Last FM which has been great at making me buy more from iTunes.

Henzing said on Thursday, 12 February 2009

I've used Spotify for just two or three weeks and hardly fire up iTunes anymore ... except for managing my iPods/iPhone.

Spotify is great for exploring, too, I've discovered lots of new music, which I plan to buy, so I can put it onto my iPod etc. I that respect, it definitely is a complimenting service.

Oddly enough, I'm still _planning_ to buy it, I really haven't felt the need yet.

Spotify is great, get it, if you can! Don't know if I would pay for it, though - if I pay, I'd like to actually have the music available even with no net connection (The Horror!) Hm, unsure ...

Grant said on Thursday, 12 February 2009

Sorry, but I aggree with Robert. iTunes allows me to mix video, podcasts, audio books and music I like (that's why I bought it) at any time on my iPod. NO internet access required (which is about 90% of my rail trip every day. It maybe OK for serious music people, but for your average punter who likes to have options; not a chance.

nom said on Thursday, 12 February 2009

Hurrah - now that everyone has finally given up pretending this that or the other is an iPod Killer we've moved on to iTunes Killers

Will probably get as close to killing iTunes as [insert one of a hundred names here] got to killing the iPod

I use iTunes as much for listening to Internet radio as much as anything else - for which I get to choose the genre I want for free streaming of music

don't want to choose artists to listen to - just want styles of music depending on my mood - works fine for me

some revolution!

ascylto said on Thursday, 12 February 2009

I'm impressed with the (very Mac-like) interface but it's not a threat to iTunes in its present form.

I buy most of my music on CD then transfer it to iTunes. It's mine and I can do as I please with it and don't have to have advertising, don't have to have an internet connection and, with iTunes being DRM free at last, I'd sooner have the music where I want it.

Tom Long said on Friday, 13 February 2009

I've been using Spotify for a month or so, and found that, while it doesn't completely replace iTunes, it's a brilliant alternative to have. Through Spotify, I've discovered (and subsequently bought) some great new music.
I hope to see it improving with time, and perhaps implementing some of the features other commenters have mentioned, such as integration with a download service, a mobile client or web interface, and so on. It's early days yet, but Spotify has got off to a flying start.

@Mark Hattersley: Scrobbling is the process of automatically of recording the songs you listen to onto last.fm, so that it can build up a profile of your music taste.

Johnny said on Friday, 13 February 2009

Not quite the same volume of music as ITunes yet, but it's free (and legal!) so who can complain? Sound quality and streaming are superb. Having adverts appear while listening to an album reminds me of Sigue Sigue Sputnik. Back in 1986 they came up with the concept of selling advertising space between tracks. Maybe this is what could save the music industry. The horror!Imagine marketing targeted at certain tracks. eg. You've just finished listening to Comfortably Numb and you get an advert for Beechams?

Andrew said on Saturday, 21 February 2009

Anybody know if they intend to target listeners with Phorm type ads Mark? You listen to X they promote X or X type music to you? Thanks.

minx said on Sunday, 22 February 2009

awesome comment johnny, ive been recording my playlists on spoti for a while now, then using soundforge to cut out the ads and shape the tracks, but i might try leaving the ads in future. It coud catch on .... i think the record companies would defo be interested.... spoti is prob their guinea pig !!

Gabriel said on Sunday, 08 March 2009

Sorry, but after this weasel word filled article from your site, I have to conclude that Spotify has some kind of promotional deal with Macworld UK: www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?newsid=25279

David said on Friday, 13 March 2009

On my (Vista) machine Spotify has all but replaced iTunes. I wince when I have to fire up the resource hog that is iTunes to listen to local tracks that aren't yet on Spotify (which is very rarely). The other thing about Spotify is its small size (around 30Mb compared to iTunes 70Mb+), and the interface clean and MUCH snappier than iTunes. The way Spotify allows you to navigate the catalogue works very well, and like people above, I've found LOTS of artists that I'd never heard of before. I'm always connected and so for me, Spotify IS an iTunes killer.

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