Spotify is the latest music website and maybe the smartest. The music industry has been trapped between fending off the Napsters and disliking Apple’s dominance of paid-for music downloads through its itunes services.
The music industry’s overly protectionist approach to copyright has made music often exorbitantly expensive for certain users – like community radio stations in rural areas with small populations. It has seen clever and successful experiments like Coldplay’s, in releasing new material straight to the web for download at a price decided by the user. It has been beset by a variety of piratic assaults on its stronghold. And itunes still rules.
The industry knows it has to change, finding a way to protect artists’ rights fairly by finding the line between burning off potential users and being endlessly vulnerably to the latest piracy.
So now there’s Spotify – with a very new take on using music. You can listen to what music you like via the site – but you cannot download it. The deal is that you listen to an advertisement every twenty minutes – and that’s where the money comes from.
The site is supposed to be a beta vesion accessible only by invitation – but we were able to download the software and open an account without an invitation – so go check it out and share your reactions here.
Superb service. Found several new bands (including the Sick Puppies), listened to the Scissor Sisters Album for the first time and am now waiting for the U2 album to be released. Great stuff. So easy to use as well …
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