Click the link then register for this excellent (currently invite only beta) service. This is the page you get directed to after you type in your invite code - a bit of an oversight! You will get the "free" version which is ad supported but honestly you hardly ever see ads.
Spotify is a music service that gives users access to a huge library of music, through a lightweight application that looks like a mashup of the best parts of iTunes and Last.fm. Music is streamed, partly supported by P2P technology, but it plays instantly, like weve never seen before.
One of the software engineers at Spotify is Ludvig Strigeus, the creator of uTorrent. It is therefore no surprise that the application uses very few resources, just 12k memory when we tested it. The rumor goes that some of the money made when uTorrent sold to BitTorrent Inc., has actually been invested in Spotify, an application that competes with piracy.
When we asked Andres Sehr of Spotify to describe the service, he told us Spotify is a new way of enjoying music. We believe Spotify provides a viable alternative to music piracy. We think the way forward is to create a service better than piracy, thereby converting users into a legal, sustainable alternative which also enriches the total music experience.
The quality of the music on Spotify is comparable to 160kbps MP3s, which is more than decent for a streaming application. To fill its library, Spotify has cut deals with EMI, Warner Music, Sony BMG and three other major labels, which all responded positively to the new concept. Interestingly, Spotify also uses P2P technology to stream the more frequently accessed tracks.
Spotify uses a hybrid p2p system where music is delivered both by our servers and using P2P, Andres Sehr said. This allows us to deliver the long tail of music which may not be very popular, as well as quickly serve up the latest hits that the majority of users listen to. P2P allows us to both increase the speed that we deliver music and also lower the cost of streaming it.
Aside from being a music streaming application, Spotify also allows users to create and share playlists with each other, the top 100 tracks of 2008 according to Pitchfork editors for example. On top of that, the Spotify interface helps you to discover new artists with its similar artists and artist radio feature.
The overall response from Spotify users seems to be very positive, but can it compete with piracy? Time will have to tell, but Spotify invites are actively being traded within the BitTorrent community, and it has even been well received on some of the most elite music trackers.
One user at the music tracker What.cd wrote: Honestly its going to be huge. Ive been browsing and playing from its seemingly endless music catalogue all afternoon, it loads as if its playing from local files, so fast, so easy. If its this great in such early beta stages then I cant imagine where its going. I feel like buying another laptop to have permanently rigged.
Spotify is not perfect though. One of the mentioned downsides is that it is not compatible with iPods and other portable MP3 players. The Spotify team hasnt ruled out the option of an iPod compatible version in the future, but for now they will focus on optimizing the Windows and Mac application.
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Originally Posted by Pauro 76
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/...-audio-spotifyAll-you-can-eat music streamer Spotify has hit a million UK registered users since launching in October, new UK managing director Paul Brown announced at MediaGuardian's Radio Reborn conference on Monday - but we still don't know how many are paying subscribers
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