Spotify: The Future of Music? Comments

Great article Andy. I think Spotify will take of and in a sense has already from my experience with my recommendations and the fact those who are using it always seem to mention it in every conversation I hear. It would be a shame though if the service changed in a bad and restrictive way. It definitly does feel like the good ol days of Napster all over again.

I've used both Napster and this and I'm hooked on Spotify! Easy to use and fast!!

However it does need some better search and browse functions. It is very good if you know what you are looking for - but there is no easy way to browse a year or a genre like there is in Napster (although you can do use a 'year:' modifier in the search)

But this and 7digital are converting me the world of legal MP3's!

Nice review Andy. Spot on! Love the concept and service both.
I've been using the service as well based on suggestion from TR and I've to say I've been listening to a lot of new variety of music and trying new artist rather then going with the tried and tested ones. The service being free is the reason I guess.
I find Spotify to be quiet addictive too. I've hardly use the iTunes to listen to my own collection of music when I'm home now(got the ipod touch when out) insted I use Spotify regularly as my main audio player. I'm even now considering going paid user with Spotify, thats how much I love it.
I agree about the things you pointed out in "What is bad about Spotify" but still for a free package its quiet reasonable. and I would also like to have the option of buying the track off Spotify "DRM-free Range" track list. because some of the songs I liked and listen to I later bought from iTunes.

It is a potentially good service, but at the moment it is just too hard to actually find music unless you know exactly what you want to search for, it doesn't encourage browsing like iTunes (which I like). My main gripe is the radio option, in theory this is great for background music, but try filtering for Pop in the "00s" and all you get is endless stuff from the 50's and 60's that was released on compilations in the 2000's.

One thing that has always puzzled me is last.fms lack of music distribution facilities. I mean, the 30 second previews are quite silly, and just being forwarded to iTunes for music purchases is down right idiotic of last.fm. Why not give streaming possibilities a la myspace, and DRM free music purchases?

Anyway, this Spotify sounds interesting, I guess I will just have to sit around and wait for my invite now...

Nice well detailed article, since I saw Spotify on TrustedReviews I haven't listened to music using any other program on my PC :)

Its fast, the adverts are few and far between and the catalogue is HUGE!

I've been using Spotify for a while now and telling as many people as possible about it. In all the time I've used it I have never experienced a single occasion of the usual 'buffering' you would expect with a service like this and the sound quality is pretty good as well. Navigating around the software is also lightning quick (unlike itunes!)

Can I get away with saying, 'Spotify...for the win!'

Started using Spotify last week after reading about it here. Since then I've not opened iTunes once! Have to say is brilliant and you would never know you're not listening to your local library. Must have app of 2009 already :)

call me bitter, but I think they should block out North America for a while yet in revenge for the STUPID record companies enforcing the delay between services being available in America and in Europe. Amazon MP3 for example.

I wish they would get together with the Music Genome Project. I have found many new artists through using Pandora. I think the two would match perfectly.

I second Iain's comments - I was an avid user of Pandora until they stopped access from the UK - their artist match linked to the Music Genome Project was simply the best way of finding new artists that you've never heard of! If this could be brought into Spotify, along with music purchase capability, it would blow every other music service out of the water.

It is rare that I switch on my PC just to listen to music, I am invariably doing something else with the music in the background. It's all too clear to me that Spotify uses a peer-to-peer network because I get network lag, unsurprisingly the same symptoms that running BitTorrent in the background gives. As a gamer, for whom response times are important this just makes Spotify a no-go, this makes me sad because otherwise it is a truly fantastic service.

Well only after discovering Spotify through a sickeningly smug recent article that rang to the tune of, "Myeh, myeh, myeh. Everyone knows Spotify! Why don't you know Spotify? Where d'you live, a cave - under the sea?" etc., I'm happy to say I'm completely won over. Still can't find many tracks but the idea is still fantastic. And still not sure I understand how the streaming is so seamless, even after your explanation. I even find myself browsing to tracks I already have, because it's quicker than locating them locally. Hope it takes off globally.

We use nothing but Spotify at our work now. I have it on all machines I listen to music with, so I no longer have a hard drive full of music. Well the stuff I can find on Spotify that is.

This morning I had a list of bands I wanted to listen too more of after hearing a few songs last night, my usual point of call would be Torrents. No longer as they were all on Spotify hurrah instant music.

Recommend Red Light Company by the way :)

Oh I still submit my listening habits to Last.fm so I can get recommendations as Spotifys are just weird.

Spotify is fantastic. I really can't wait to see what changes they make over the next 12-18 months. There is so much potential. I think the "bad" points highlighted are fair but Im sure that those behind the programming side of things will be brain storming their way through potential advancements/improvements.

I have never been a fan of radio purely because there are always tunes I dont like coming on. Internet and DAB radio stations changed that to some degree with more focussed tastes but there were still the odd stinker. Spotify hits the nail on the head. Being able to build my ultimate play list without the need to buy/download everything is a great thing to have. If they can improve on the Last FM sort of thing then it will rule over all!

Spotifyers - change your passwords!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7925455.stm

The BBC tech team really suck balls. Any security story regarding the latest popular website or the favourite Internet Explorer they try for a Robert Peston and fail on an epic scale. The worst culprit Story Teflon Bones should stick to reporting on phone shops.

Not wanting to rain on Spotify's parade but this has nothing on Qtrax. Free and legal music downloads. It may be DRM protected but who cares, if someone wants some of your music they can download it free anyway. Atleast with Qtrax I can listen to music on my mp3 player.

Been using Spotify for a little while now and I do love it. Would be nice though if it had more recommendation features and lists of what people are listening to to help find more new music. Would also be cool if it had chart playlists so you could just listen without having to think.

I don't see a reason to pay for Spotify though as I don't find the ads annoying. I know we don't get it here but if I was going to pay I'd me much more interested in something like a Zune pass where the music can be downloaded to your device and taken with you. You also actually get to keep a certain number of tracks a month which adds to the value.

I just wish Pandora was allowed back in the UK, I spent ages evolving my musical tastes and habits on Pandora radio only for the plug to be pulled. If spotify could learn users tastes, that would be a big boon.

I think it's fantastic and possibly the future of music, why have the hardware when you can listen to it any time - if you have access to the internet. maybe they could do something similar to BBC iplayer in being able to download and 'view/listen' for one month. the adverts don't really intrude but there are some things to be done before it is the 'one' source for music and worth subscribing. biggest caveat is as follows from thier website :-

'I can’t find a track, album or artist I’m looking for?
In the future we aim to have all the worlds music available, however, we are currently in beta and are updating our catalogue so it’s possible that you won’t be able to find some of your favorite artists or tracks. We are working really hard to grow our catalogue as quickly as possible by constantly adding new content so you can get more and more music. Unfortunately some artists have opted not to be added to Spotify at this time, some frequently requested artists that are not in Spotify include Metallica, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, ACDC and Led Zeppelin, etc.'

when these cash cows are part of the playlists then it might be worth subscribing but also the price is too high in my opinion, it should be 50% lower i.e. a fiver. when all bands are available, only a matter of time and price, this is the future of music if they price it right. listen through a hi fi system and you realise how good the compromise between bandwidth & quality has been done. just need the cash cows to sign up, then I won't be stealing your music you stupid greedy people !!!! ye you Laars !!

Great review and a great product - a major step change in music listening
Lots of scope for ideas but one for me is to improve use on multipe PCs - If I log on in work I don't see my searches and playlists that I created on my home PC under the same account

I love Spotify, but they could do with sorting out gapless playback. Try listening to a DJ mix album and you'll hear what I mean.

Spotify is great, but I wish they would change the screen display - white text on black background is awful. Is there a way I can change this myself?