Spotify, the popular music streaming and social network hybrid is expanding its scope and allowing its mobile app service to be free for all users. The company announced on Wednesday that it would be allowing any iOS and Android tablets or smartphones to use its app free of charge.
According to CNET, those who wanted to use the mobile app's features previously had to be a premium member and pay $10 a month. The only thing free about the service was its use on browser-based programs like computes.
The move marks a significant chance in the way the music streaming service looks at its business model. It is hoping to potentially expand its user base of listeners by finally addressing its biggest pitfall to membership, the lack of a decent mobile way to listen to music for free.
Unfortunately, the new system doesn't give users every single feature found on the premium subscription. For tablets, the app works just like the desktop version, giving you access to specific select tracks. Meanwhile, the smartphone app doesn't work exactly like the PC service and only allows users access to shuffle songs on their pre-created playlists. Users will not be able to pick the exact song they want to play and just hit the track immediately. They'll have to shuffle through the entire playlist.
"This is the way the next generation will build their music library," said Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. "It's not about purchasing one song or other. it's about adding it to a collection."
Users will be able to add to a current playlist or create one using the mobile app. If Spotify's new model of shuffling playlists of songs seems strange to you, that's because it is the first company that has ever obtained licensing rights to do anything like this. The hope is that it will be enough to move the company past Pandora, which can boast more users simply because its service is more easily accessible for free.
The news comes along with the announcement form the company that Spotify will hold exclusive rights to the entire Led Zeppelin catalog.