The big news in digital media in the last seven days is the launch of the streaming music service Spotify in the United States. When it first appeared about two and a half years ago, the Swedish-based company hit headlines for making all the right moves for an online music service. Its user interface is impeccably clean, its music catalogue is vast encompassing both indie and major labels, it’s easy to use and they offer a mobile app and synchronisation with your iPod.
Spotify’s move into the U.S. market makes it the music service most likely to challenge iTunes’ worldwide dominance and it is now one of the few music companies offering its services on both sides of the Atlantic. Currently Spotify is available in a handful of European countries including France, the UK and now the U.S. Regarding an Irish launch, a Spotify press rep told me: “Spotify’s long term aim is to be available in every country. We know just how passionate Irish music fans are but we don’t have any immediate plans to launch there.”
