What is Spotify?

Launched in Sweden in 2008, Spotify is a service that lets you stream music from a library that is so extensive that it would take 80 years of non-stop listening just to get through it. As well as letting people listen to anything from golden oldies to the latest hits on their computer, Spotify also has a number of smartphone apps to allow for music on the move. There are also Spotify apps on other services, such Virgin Media’s TiVo set-top box or Sonos speakers, and deep-integration with Facebook to make music more social. Spotify has been developed since 2006 by a team at Spotify AB, Stockholm, Sweden. The company was founded there by Daniel Ek, former CTO of Stardoll, and Martin Lorentzon, co-founder of TradeDoubler. The headquarters are now located in London, while research and development remain based in Stockholm. The Spotify application was launched for public access on 7 October 2008. While free accounts still remained available by invitation only in order to manage the growth rate of the service, the launch meant that paid subscriptions were opened to everyone. At the same time, Spotify AB also announced licensing deals with many major music labels. The company reported a $4.4 million loss for the year of 2008. The first step towards offering free accounts to the public without an invitation was taken on 10 February 2009, when Spotify opened for free registration in the UK.

 

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