Less than two weeks after getting the green light from Apple, Spotify has arrived as an official app for both iPhone and Android devices. This has caused an outpouring of support and pleasure from all quarters. So what is Spotify, and why is it so important?
What is Spotify?
It’s incredibly simple: Spotify is a web service that allows you to stream music from the internet. However, the creation of that simple service has been a complicated nightmare. Spotify allows you to stream any song, by any artist, whenever you want. It is the ultimate in infinite playlists. Once you’ve bought a Spotify subscription, you can listen to whatever song you like, whenever you like.
Spotify is great over the Internet, but its really exciting use is on mobile devices. Using Spotify, you can turn your smartphone into the best portable music device imaginable – a walkman with infinite storage space, that has every song you want on it. It has its limitations, of course. It streams over Wifi or 3G. So if you happen to be in a WiFi hotspot, the service is free (apart from your monthly subscription, that is). But if you’re streaming over your 3G network, you had better be sure you have a good data rate, otherwise your bill will go stratospheric.
Spotify is now available as a downloadable app for both iPhone and Android – but only for Premium subscribers to the service.
That’s the iPhone version on the left, and the Android on the right.
What was the problem?
The problem with Spotify was that it was too useful. It has a function called “Offline Playlists”. This allows you to tag a playlist as “offline”. Spotify then downloads the playlist and stores it on your device, so that you can listen to the songs even when you don’t have a connection.
The iPhone application got trapped in “approval hell”. Because Spotify effectively replaces the music playing function of the iPhone, it was supposed by most people that Apple was purposefully blocking it. But recent moves by the FCC have made Apple eager to prove that it is an even-handed, competition-loving company. And so, at the end of August, the app was approved.
iPhone video:
Android video:
What we think?
More than one of my friends has voiced the opinion that “Spotify is the only music service you’ll ever need”. And I’m inclined to agree. I’m sorry, but off the top of my head I can’t think of anything wrong with this service. You really do have to be careful when it comes to prices, but that’s about it. For example, I can’t use this service in Ireland. I’m not saying it’s not available, I just couldn’t afford to use it. There aren’t any data plans generous enough to support it yet. I could use the computer-bound version in work, but the real magic of this service is on Android or iPhone, not on-line. It’s precisely because of services like Spotify that we need flat-rate data plans. If you charge by the megabyte, no matter how low your price is, people will end up getting charge abominable prices due to downloading music or videos.
