Raccoon
Platinum Member
Joined: February 2016
Posts: 1,950
|
Post by Raccoon on May 11, 2016 22:22:33 GMT -5
Despite the launch of Apple Music, which recently reached 13 million paid subscribers, rival service Spotify told Reuters that it has experienced a faster pace of growth since last June than beforehand. "It's great that Apple is in the game. They are definitely raising the profile of streaming. It is hard to build an industry on your own," Jonathan Forster, a vice president and one of its first employees, told Reuters in an interview. "Since Apple Music started we've been growing quicker and adding more users than before." Spotify recently announced that it has 30 million paying customers, compared to around 20 million paid subscribers last June, while its total active user base has grown to nearly 100 million from 75 million a year ago. Apple has not recently disclosed how many users it has on a three-month trial for an overall comparison, but Spotify remains over 2x to 2.5x larger than Apple Music in terms of paid subscribers worldwide. "It would be terrible if we were just taking each other's users or to learn there was just a ceiling of 100 million users - I don't think that is the case," said Forster, who had just returned to Stockholm from the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California. Apple Music has inevitably generated increased awareness of the concept of streaming music, which in turn has helped Spotify triple its paid subscriber base in just two years. The service, which launched in Europe in October 2008 and expanded to the U.S. in July 2011, had 10 million subscribers through May 2014. Spotify continues to operate at a loss due to expensive royalties and revenue sharing with music label partners, but the Swedish company expects to eventually become profitable through continued subscriber growth. Spotify will also seek to earn increased revenue from advertising, concerts, merchandising, and video. Spotify today announced that 12 new original series will be coming to the streaming music service this summer and fall, centered around music performances, music profiles, and music culture. Last year, the company also added video programming and podcasts from partners such as Comedy Central, ESPN, and MTV. In related news, Spotify for iOS was recently updated with a new bottom navigation bar in lieu of its traditional slide-out "hamburger" menu. SOURCE
|
|
Glove Slap
Administrator
Sweetheart
Downloading ༺༒༻ Possibilities
Joined: January 2007
Posts: 29,473
Staff
|
Post by Glove Slap on May 11, 2016 23:43:36 GMT -5
Spotify, more than any other service, has immensely benefitted from the increased publicity around streaming. After Taylor Swift, Dave Grohl, et al started being vocal about their opposition to it, it just had the opposite effect and just exposed more people to the legal opportunity to not have to pay for music. It's simplicity and familiarity has also simultaneously benefitted its paying tier.
|
|
Caviar
Diamond Member
Queen X
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 30,815
My Charts
Pronouns: He/his
|
Post by Caviar on May 12, 2016 8:48:09 GMT -5
Interesting numbers. I've been with Spotify for two years now and love their simple layout and personalized playlists. I've recently subscribed to Apple Music but I'm going to cancel sometime this month since all my main playlists are over at Spotify. IDK if I can justify keeping both.
|
|
Gary
Diamond Member
Joined: January 2014
Posts: 45,595
|
Post by Gary on May 12, 2016 9:54:47 GMT -5
Like everything else, this too will peak. Just a matter of time.
Potential issues:
If Spotify is operating at a loss now, they will eventually need to raise their prices. With artists taking on exclusive deals more and more, in order to get the full market, a user may have to subscribe to multiple services.
|
|
Raccoon
Platinum Member
Joined: February 2016
Posts: 1,950
|
Post by Raccoon on May 12, 2016 18:26:45 GMT -5
Interesting numbers. I've been with Spotify for two years now and love their simple layout and personalized playlists. I've recently subscribed to Apple Music but I'm going to cancel sometime this month since all my main playlists are over at Spotify. IDK if I can justify keeping both. there is a service that allows you to transfer your Spotify Playlists to Apple Music
|
|
|
Post by tommymonster44 on May 12, 2016 22:21:24 GMT -5
Like everything else, this too will peak. Just a matter of time. Potential issues: If Spotify is operating at a loss now, they will eventually need to raise their prices. With artists taking on exclusive deals more and more, in order to get the full market, a user may have to subscribe to multiple services.I agree that as technology advances, industries constantly rise and fall. However, I'm not sure if what you mentioned will have any affect on subscriptions, unless it happens on a truly massive scale. If an artist doesn't put their music on a streaming service, then people will just pirate it. I think major artists have gotten a little too confident about their music's influence. Nobody cares if Taylor Swift, Beyonce, or Kanye doesn't put their music on Spotify. Until artists start leaving by the thousands, or an entire major label pulls their entire catalogue, streaming will continue to grow. No one artists controls the industry, anymore.
|
|
Caviar
Diamond Member
Queen X
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 30,815
My Charts
Pronouns: He/his
|
Post by Caviar on May 25, 2016 21:08:31 GMT -5
Spotify now has a $14.99 family plan for up to 5 accounts.
|
|
ilikemusic
Gold Member
Joined: March 2016
Posts: 778
|
Post by ilikemusic on May 25, 2016 22:22:50 GMT -5
Spotify will peak at the end of the decade, if not sooner.
I have a feeling one of the major companies, most likely Universal or Sony will pull the plug on their entire catalogue if the service continues to be free with little restriction.
|
|
Caviar
Diamond Member
Queen X
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 30,815
My Charts
Pronouns: He/his
|
Post by Caviar on May 25, 2016 22:35:46 GMT -5
70% of all Spotify's revenue goes to publishing payouts. You really think a label is going to pull the plug as risk losing streaming revenue? It's bad business and incomprehensible considering the labels need to replace that lost revenue with something else.
|
|
Linnethia Monique
Diamond Member
Still 100% Snackable
🗣 NOW GET YOUR BOOTS AND YOUR COAT FOR THIS...
Joined: December 2004
Posts: 24,208
|
Post by Linnethia Monique on May 26, 2016 14:39:41 GMT -5
Spotify now has a $14.99 family plan for up to 5 accounts. I created a second account so I could get the 3 months for $9.99 deal That extra 20 bones is going to Memorial Weekend drinks!
|
|
Caviar
Diamond Member
Queen X
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 30,815
My Charts
Pronouns: He/his
|
Post by Caviar on May 26, 2016 14:45:47 GMT -5
Bitch :kii:
|
|
Caviar
Diamond Member
Queen X
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 30,815
My Charts
Pronouns: He/his
|
Post by Caviar on Mar 2, 2017 17:52:07 GMT -5
Can we make this the official Spotify thread? There are multiple threads about it but not a singular place to discuss the service. Let me know your thoughts.
|
|
Glove Slap
Administrator
Sweetheart
Downloading ༺༒༻ Possibilities
Joined: January 2007
Posts: 29,473
Staff
|
Post by Glove Slap on Mar 2, 2017 22:53:49 GMT -5
More subscribers than Taylor Swift album sales, and closing in on Adele. They're winning.
|
|
Rican@
8x Platinum Member
[Only dry eyes, I would love on you for years]
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 8,970
|
Post by Rican@ on Mar 2, 2017 23:20:47 GMT -5
I love Spotify and the improvements of finding music on it are quite great too.
I'm loving the trendy playlist, the release radar and playlist mix along with "This Is: (Insert Artist)" too. The people behind Spotify have been great with keeping up with the times and keep on getting better.
Hell, I refused to try out Apple Music. I cannot even tell you the last time I played anything in my Music section on Apple products despite purchasing albums/singles here and there from iTunes.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2017 0:30:53 GMT -5
I been using Spotify for about a year now and I absolutely am satisfied with it, use it for my music all the time and never had an issue.
|
|
Disco🌶️📖
Diamond Member
#LiteralLegender
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 68,879
|
Post by Disco🌶️📖 on Mar 3, 2017 2:09:27 GMT -5
I don't use Spotify anymore. I don't like all the ads. If I wanted ads, I would listen to the radio. There have been times when proper songs provided to them by the labels are not even the right ones and/or they are poorly sourced. I know one independent record label who intentionally sends them sketchy quality files because he wants people to buy the music to get the proper quality versions. And I use Last.FM to track my plays so I hate how poorly formatted their songs' metatags are. I don't have the time to use Universal Scrobbler to fix them after the fact. It's so much easier to preview a song when it comes out via the lyric video on YouTube and then if I like it, purchase it on AmazonMP3 and add it to my iTunes player.
|
|
Rican@
8x Platinum Member
[Only dry eyes, I would love on you for years]
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 8,970
|
Post by Rican@ on Mar 3, 2017 10:43:01 GMT -5
I don't use Spotify anymore. I don't like all the ads. If I wanted ads, I would listen to the radio. There have been times when proper songs provided to them by the labels are not even the right ones and/or they are poorly sourced. I know one independent record label who intentionally sends them sketchy quality files because he wants people to buy the music to get the proper quality versions. And I use Last.FM to track my plays so I hate how poorly formatted their songs' metatags are. I don't have the time to use Universal Scrobbler to fix them after the fact. It's so much easier to preview a song when it comes out via the lyric video on YouTube and then if I like it, purchase it on AmazonMP3 and add it to my iTunes player. You get ads on Spotify because you're using the free version. If you pay for it, you won't get that.
|
|
Linnethia Monique
Diamond Member
Still 100% Snackable
🗣 NOW GET YOUR BOOTS AND YOUR COAT FOR THIS...
Joined: December 2004
Posts: 24,208
|
Post by Linnethia Monique on Mar 3, 2017 11:27:20 GMT -5
I don't use Spotify anymore. I don't like all the ads. If I wanted ads, I would listen to the radio. There have been times when proper songs provided to them by the labels are not even the right ones and/or they are poorly sourced. I know one independent record label who intentionally sends them sketchy quality files because he wants people to buy the music to get the proper quality versions. And I use Last.FM to track my plays so I hate how poorly formatted their songs' metatags are. I don't have the time to use Universal Scrobbler to fix them after the fact. It's so much easier to preview a song when it comes out via the lyric video on YouTube and then if I like it, purchase it on AmazonMP3 and add it to my iTunes player. You can't b!tch about a free service because they have ads in them which helps make it more accessible to you, the cheap consumer. One ad every 30 minutes or so is really fair to have millions upon millions of songs at your disposal including new releases.
|
|
ry4n
7x Platinum Member
Joined: November 2014
Posts: 7,193
My Charts
Pronouns: he/him
|
Post by ry4n on Mar 3, 2017 11:39:04 GMT -5
I've been using Spotify since it became available in Canada (November-ish 2014) and haven't looked back. I pay for a monthly subscription because ads ruin the flow and because the free version is basically unusable on a mobile. $120 a year is a pretty fair price, especially when I use the service so much.
I only download songs if they aren't available there - and the number of tracks not available on Spotify seems to be reducing, thankfully.
|
|
Caviar
Diamond Member
Queen X
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 30,815
My Charts
Pronouns: He/his
|
Post by Caviar on Mar 3, 2017 14:46:37 GMT -5
I've had it for the three years now. Can't imagine life without it!
|
|
Disco🌶️📖
Diamond Member
#LiteralLegender
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 68,879
|
Post by Disco🌶️📖 on Mar 3, 2017 16:29:09 GMT -5
I don't use Spotify anymore. I don't like all the ads. If I wanted ads, I would listen to the radio. There have been times when proper songs provided to them by the labels are not even the right ones and/or they are poorly sourced. I know one independent record label who intentionally sends them sketchy quality files because he wants people to buy the music to get the proper quality versions. And I use Last.FM to track my plays so I hate how poorly formatted their songs' metatags are. I don't have the time to use Universal Scrobbler to fix them after the fact. It's so much easier to preview a song when it comes out via the lyric video on YouTube and then if I like it, purchase it on AmazonMP3 and add it to my iTunes player. You can't b!tch about a free service because they have ads in them which helps make it more accessible to you, the cheap consumer. One ad every 30 minutes or so is really fair to have millions upon millions of songs at your disposal including new releases. The ads are so intrusive though.
|
|
Linnethia Monique
Diamond Member
Still 100% Snackable
🗣 NOW GET YOUR BOOTS AND YOUR COAT FOR THIS...
Joined: December 2004
Posts: 24,208
|
Post by Linnethia Monique on Mar 3, 2017 17:04:42 GMT -5
You can't b!tch about a free service because they have ads in them which helps make it more accessible to you, the cheap consumer. One ad every 30 minutes or so is really fair to have millions upon millions of songs at your disposal including new releases. The ads are so intrusive though. You literally get two ads an hour. How is that intrusive? Maybe if you coughed up the $10 a month you wouldn't have that problem. You can't be a beggar and be selective at the same time when somebody gives you something for free at the minimum price of listening to an ad for 30 seconds every half-hour. You're the epitome of people that take advantage of the welfare system.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2017 19:13:41 GMT -5
^Especially since freemium on-demand options are very slim pickings. You can complain, or you can cough up that monthly Hamilton! I will say that I have gotten more than two ads an hour - sometimes I'll only get one, other times I'll get three or four in a row. It's wildly inconsistent, but even at its worst not terribly unbearable; you get a very long stretch of playing time before the next commercial break pops up. The tagging issue has happened very occasionally but a) has always involved fairly little known acts and b) would be an issue that occurred both on the free and paid tiers.
I decided to be a cheapskate for a while and went back down to free last month - I do this once a year usually and it only ever lasts a few months because it is truly useless if you want to listen on mobile. But other than the mobile issue the freemium tier isn't even that bad. I have noticed that if you have a playlist of nothing but nature sound effects, Spotify eases up a lot on the ads (or doesn't play them at all, even) because it can recognize that you're just trying to sleep. God bless the software engineer who figured that one out.
|
|
Disco🌶️📖
Diamond Member
#LiteralLegender
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 68,879
|
Post by Disco🌶️📖 on Mar 3, 2017 21:39:47 GMT -5
You're the epitome of people that take advantage of the welfare system. Let's set the record straight: I AM NOT ON WELFARE! I spend more money on music, clothes, shoes, and food than most people make in a year.
|
|
Az Paynter
Diamond Member
On Dsico's Block List™
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 110,137
|
Post by Az Paynter on Mar 3, 2017 22:42:05 GMT -5
If that's the case then why the f**k do you not just cough up the ten quid for a premium account? :sip2:
|
|
Linnethia Monique
Diamond Member
Still 100% Snackable
🗣 NOW GET YOUR BOOTS AND YOUR COAT FOR THIS...
Joined: December 2004
Posts: 24,208
|
Post by Linnethia Monique on Mar 4, 2017 2:46:38 GMT -5
You're the epitome of people that take advantage of the welfare system. Let's set the record straight: I AM NOT ON WELFARE! I spend more money on music, clothes, shoes, and food than most people make in a year. Lies and fairy-tales if you can't spend $120 annually for Spotify and that's around the max before tax unless you can scam your way into using multiple e-mail accounts to use the 3-month $.99-$10 deals that they do on a regular basis.
|
|
Rican@
8x Platinum Member
[Only dry eyes, I would love on you for years]
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 8,970
|
Post by Rican@ on Mar 4, 2017 10:54:42 GMT -5
LOL I'm laughing so hard at these past few posts.
|
|
Raccoon
Platinum Member
Joined: February 2016
Posts: 1,950
|
Post by Raccoon on Mar 5, 2017 13:02:01 GMT -5
Changed the thread title. I've been on Apple Music since it was released and I really like it. My only complaint is that the playlists aren't as good as Spotify's, and that it looks like Fisher Price toy in some parts. I mostly listen to music in the car and it's nice to just plug in my phone and it automatically connects to Apple Music, it won't do that with Spotify.
|
|
Pollen
Moderator
Joined: February 2014
Posts: 27,202
Pronouns: he/him
Staff
|
Post by Pollen on Mar 5, 2017 14:12:13 GMT -5
I honestly only use Apple Music because I love seeing play counts lol. It's also more accessible for new releases (iTunes updates at 10:00 PM CST versus 11:00 PM CST for Spotify; a big difference for me lol). There's also the $4.99 a month subscription for students that I don't believe other streaming services have.
I still use Spotify every now and then. I think it's a much better service in regards to playlisting. Their selections are a lot better than Apple's, and making public playlists is much easier (albeit, I've never tried hard to figure out how to make a public playlist for Apple Music).
|
|
Linnethia Monique
Diamond Member
Still 100% Snackable
🗣 NOW GET YOUR BOOTS AND YOUR COAT FOR THIS...
Joined: December 2004
Posts: 24,208
|
Post by Linnethia Monique on Mar 5, 2017 14:35:20 GMT -5
. There's also the $4.99 a month subscription for students that I don't believe other streaming services have. Spotify also offers a student discount as well as Amazon Prime. I believe Spotify's is $4.99 too.
|
|