Spotify. You’ve probably heard that name the past few days. If not, well, here you go.
What’s the big deal, you ask? Why all the fuss? Isn’t it just another Internet music player, a la Pandora or Grooveshark?
That’s where you are mistaken, my friend. Spotify is a game changer, a breath of fresh air, the future of music. Sean Parker (of The Social Network fame), the person who basically invented music piracy with Napster, calls Spotify “the realization of a dream” and “the answer to piracy.”
Those are some pretty bold statements. I was skeptical at first, but after receiving an invite and playing around with the program for a few days, I’m almost convinced.
Spotify has the potential to put a huge dent in music piracy and the 99-cent iTunes model because simply put, it makes downloading music (illegally and legally) practically unnecessary.
What is Spotify? Think of it as Pandora. Except you get to choose the tracks, make the playlists, and share your music with friends on Facebook. Oh, and did I mention that there are 15 million songs to choose from, with more being added?
Best of all, it’s free! No wonder Spotify has over 10 million users in Europe (where they originally launched). We’ve been missing out.
Of course, the free version has ads, but for only $4.99/month, you can upgrade to the ad-free unlimited version for your computer, and for $9.99/month, you can take 15 million, high-quality songs with you wherever you go via smart phone.
What I like about Spotify is that it allows me to discover new music and albums. Because I don’t need to download anything, I can search up an album that I’m interested in, and give it a listen right away.
I’ve listened to a bunch of new albums the past several days, without downloading a single one. If I like an album I listened to, I can continue to do so. If I don’t, then I’ll just move on. It’s a win-win situation.
Another aspect of discovering new music is the ability of Spotify to connect with Facebook. Now, you can view your friends’ playlists, suggest music, and share music with all your friends. This feature definitely has a lot of potential.
The program itself is extremely easy to download, setup, and use. It looks a lot like iTunes – you can start by browsing popular songs/suggested albums, or you can search up your favorite artist.
Making playlists is as simple as dragging the song into a folder on the sidebar.You can even move your purchased/downloaded music from iTunes/Windows Media Player into Spotify.
Songs play seamlessly, with no awkward pauses, save for the occasional ads. What’s especially impressive is that I haven’t encountered a song that needed to buffer. There’s even a related artists page to help you find music that fits your tastes.
What are you waiting for? Go to Spotify.com and request an invite. You’ve got nothing to lose, and over 15 million tracks to gain. Can’t wait for the invite? eBay is selling them real cheap for around $1.
Viva la revolucion!
Join the future of music with Glen at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.
