Sorry Spotify, back to the free model....
Monday, September 21, 2009 at 12:23PM Following the launch of the iPhone client for Spotify, I thought I'd try out a months Premium subscription for £9.99
Whilst I love the idea, I've been shocked to discover I just haven't used the premium service at all, except for a couple of tracks when I first signed up.
In fairness, it may well be that I'm not the ideal punter or typical of the demographic that Spotify is aiming at. I'm fairly old (!), have an established taste in music, and by now, have most of my favourite stuff already on my iPod.
The main issues I found were:
- I never really got around to caching any songs on my iPhone client. Most of the stuff was already there on my iPhone and I really didn't want to spend the time trying to do a diff to see what was missing.
- I didn't realise just how much I used the Remote application on the iPhone to manage my iTunes collection on my main machine and have music playing via an Airport Express or Apple TV. As far as I can see, there's no way to replicate this using Spotify. It's such a boon when friends are around to play music and skip or search for tracks via the iPhone remote on iTunes. Sorely missed using Spotify.
- The main killer for me though was the lack of background playing on the iPhone client. I just don't use my iPhone with a single application loaded. I'm jumping from email to Twitter to Instapaper to Bylines. Without the background playing, it's really no use to me.
So whilst I think it's a fantastic concept, and ideal for anyone who really wants to seek out and listen to new music, I've just cancelled my Premium subscription and reverted to the free model.
Which I think is a shame, I really do :-(
Reader Comments (6)
Afraid I am coming to the same conclusion which is a real shame as without all those £9.99/month Spotify may not be viable and it is a great desktop app.
I'll have to respectfully disagree with you, Don. I've done little else but consume music since getting the Premium subscription. Many albums I have held off buying (in case they were rubbish) have been explored. The entire recorded works of Monty Python? No problem, took a few minutes to download.
On a more agreeable note I'm also an Airport Express user and have the same issue as you. I'm planning on looking into Airfoil to address this, although it will not be as slick as using Remote.
This is a version 1 app and I'm sure we've got more to come. I for one have found it revolutionary in my listening.
No worries Paul, I don't profess to be "right" on this issue.
I'm sure the concept is perfect for lots of people. It's just that I tend to listen to most of my music via my iPhone and the iPhone client really took the shine off the service for me. I only listen to music occasionally at my desktop as I can find it a bit distracting.
I hope Spotify remains viable as it really is a neat service, it's just the premium model didn't suit my needs as it stands.
I agree I personally don't have a use for the iPhone app. I want to keep my music collection and anything I can't fit on the phone I can play using the Simplfy Music app. Whilst it's a useful tool to see
whether an album is any good before you buy, it isn't very cost effective to pay £10 a month and then pay again to buy an album.
I will stick to the free desktop version. If Spotfiy release an app that doesn't require the subscription, then I'll be back.
I have been a premium subscriber to Spotify since January, and I use Airfoil to stream music to my Air Port Express Loud-speakers around the house. However, I have the same experience as Don. I prefer iTunes, and I tend to use Spotify so rarely that I cannot defend the yearly cost of GBP 99.
I'm also trying out the monthly sub, Don. I have to agree to an extent, though I think I'll keep paying.
The best thing I'm finding is the availability of new stuff.
Example: I've been reading through a 'now playing' thread on a forum, and trying out new stuff thanks to spotify. I've been put onto new bands and music that I would never have tried before. Why wouldn't I have just got the music through iTunes? I wouldn't spend the money on an off-chance I'd like them. Yes, I could use the free model for this, but when you add in the iPhone app it's a winner. I listen to most of my music either at home (I use the MacBook to stream using AirFoil to the ATV) or in the car, where I just use an iTrip. Obviously when in the car, the lack of background playback isn't an issue.
Like I say though, I can certainly see your point of view, and it's exactly what I expected to be saying myself when I signed up to Spotify !