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Tag: music service

  • Spotify plans free mobile version of its service

    Spotify plans free mobile version of its service

    MUMBAI: Spotify AB is planning a free, ad-supported version of its streaming-music service on mobile devices, according to reports doing rounds, after previously making mobile users pay a monthly fee.

    The Sweden-based music company has reached licensing deals with all three of the global music companies to use its recordings on the new service. Until now, a free version of Spotify was available only on desktop and laptop computers.

    Spotify, which has six million paying subscribers and 20 million active users world-wide, has negotiated with three major record companies – Sony Corp.’s Sony Music Entertainment, Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group and Access Industries’ Warner Music Group – over the rates it will pay them to play songs on the free mobile service, and over how much direct control users have over what they listen to, reports claimed.

    The new ad-supported offering will allow nonpaying mobile users to play a limited number of songs on demand, but will mostly serve up music based on the user’s input, much like custom radio services such as Pandora Media.

    Spotify launched its own custom radio feature last year. Spotify’s premium service, which costs $10 a month, delivers unlimited, on-demand music from its 20 million-song catalog on any device. Until now, free users have been able to play music on demand, with ads, on their computers – but they can’t use the service from their mobile phones or tablets, unless they enter their credit-card information to sign up for the 30-day premium-service trial.

  • AOL improves upon music service

    AOL improves upon music service

    MUMBAI: Internet giant AOL has revamped its Web-based music download service, adding music videos, streaming radio and user community features.

    The service is called AOL Music Now. AOL says that this is the first digital music subscription service offering unlimited on-demand streams and downloads of more than 2.5 million audio tracks and thousands of music videos. With the launch of the AOL Music Now service (www.aolmusicnow.com), music fans have a new place to discover, listen, download and own songs, albums and videos from one of the largest music libraries on the web.

    Unlike other pay per download services, the AOL service lets users play as many songs and music videos as they want, in their entirety and on-demand. Users can access music and videos they have transferred to their PCs and compatible portable devices as long as they maintain a portable tier subscription.

    The new service also features AOL Radio with XM offering with more than 200 AOL Radio stations plus select premier XM Satellite Radio channels.

    AOL Music Now president Amit Shafrir says, “With the addition of music videos and AOL Radio with XM stations, AOL Music Now has raised the bar in the digital music service space. And, with best-in-class personalisation and automated discovery features, it’s easy for music lovers to navigate the thousands of mixes, playlists and radio stations the service offers.”

    The music service claims to have a library of more than 2.5 million songs from all four major music labels and hundreds of independents. In addition, AOL has agreements with several labels, including Sony BMG to provide thousands of music videos for use in the AOL Music Now service.