Ever since hot streaming music startup Spotify hired a director of “portable solutions” you just knew they were going to do something cool in mobile. And frankly there is no cooler place to do it right now than on the iPhone.
There have been rumblings of an iPhone app for the service especially on Swedish blogs. Spotify is based in Stockholm. News that they are hiring a Symbian S60 specialist also indicates that Symbian will join the platform.
The rumours are that the iPhone app will initially be available only to premium users, but will offer over-the-air streaming of the entire library, plus access to playlists. The ability to cache playlists will mean you can save tracks and albums temporarily to your iPhone to access when out of range of wifi or a mobile network.
This video demo shows an amazing app which, frankly, could even give the iTunes store a run for it’s money given that it provides instant access to millions of tracks, assuming Apple lets it into the App Store of course.
UPDATE: Someone has removed the video so contact us if you have a copy and we’ll re-post it.
UPDATE II: Thanks to TechDigest for grabbing the video, below.
Don’t Apple have to OK all applications to go in the App Store? And might they not refuse this one?
Well do all apps have to go through the iTunes App Store? Plus there must be something illegal about stopping all competitors..
It can’t be an ‘itunes killer’ because if it tries to kill iTunes, Apple will kill it! mmmm, delicious closed platform!
Battery life won’t be so hot either… but I’d still love to see it of course!
All they need now is for users to be able to post songs/playlists to social networks and boom!
This will not only kill itunes, but Lastfm and everything else too.
Assuming that this app would kill Last.fm just means that you don’t know Last.fm’s main concepts, which are completely different to Spotify and absolutely unique!!!
Yip, this is the next step a heap of people I know have been waiting for. I’ve found spotify to be truly groundbreaking and a bit like when I sent my first fax or email…shame was when I shared it with my mates back home, we find it’s not available for New Zealand IP addresses…that’s just sad.
use Hot Spot Shield to use Spotify in New Zealand:
http://www.hotspotshield.com/launch/
it’s for using a different IP address for security reasons … which just happens to be an IP for the USA!
Very nice. Surely this will drink battery life though?
It sure as hell won’t drink your pinot noir.
Forget closed platform for a moment. This is a killer app for the iPhone.
So how much money do Apple make from iPhones – versus track sales on iTunes?
I don’t have the figures to hand, but let’s just say I think Apple would allow it in the app store.
I agree with all the previous comments.
It has never been a question of IF Spotify would create an awesome iPhone App. If there’s music involve and it’s free (kind of) people will swarm around it and buzz will be unprecedented.
The million dollar question is HOW they will deal with battery life issues (Simplify Media have tried already).
I hope Apple block this app. They might – it’s what they stand for.
In the ‘old-days’ the tight software/hardware integration of iTunes/iPod worked because both were ahead of the game individually, so whilst users were restricted in their choice, they put up with it. The iPhone/App store mirrored what had been a successful formula for them.
The problem is, this only works for so long – unless you’re able to remain market leader in all areas of the closed system, you’ll be faced with decisions like this – either give people choice (shocking concept) and at the same time accept that the old system won’t work any more, or remain steadfast in your belief that you can have it all.
I can only assume that the ongoing public circle-jerk over Apple is the reason there hasn’t been more negative press about their attitude towards open platforms. Denying this app a place in the store would be a small, but timely reminder, about the fallibility of this approach and be hugely self-destructive on their part.
It’s worth pointing out that not everyone has an iPhone. So a Spotify iPhone app is hardly going to be an iTunes killer. But if the headline was “Spotify NOT working on killer iPhone app – Symbian, Android versions released today.” then we’d be talking.
P.S. Video is ‘private’ so I can’t view it.
Oh, and unless I’m mistaken, the story is basically that Spotify are working on mobile versions of their application.
As such, I guess you could call it a ‘killer app’ for the mobile phone (although I always considered that to be the whole talking thing), but I’m not sure iPhone gets killer app rights here.
This would be the best app ever for Iphone, and I think Apple understands this.If Iphone had support
for Spotify I would buy one (iphone) straight away! And also, the team behind Spotify are without a doubt the smartest people in Europe (anyone who´s had anything
to do with them will confirm this, believe me). They are innovators in the truest sense of the word and it would be a shame if Apple doesn´t recognize this. To sum up: If Steve Jobs
was a Swede (the title of my forthcoming album by the way..) he would have created Spotify. But he would have called it Steviefy.
Hey, I have the vid. Drop me an e-mail if you want it, TC.
LMAO this service is not even available in the US! How could it kill iTunes if iTunes biggest market can’t get it? What about all those iPods that can’t use Spotify even if it was available I think those people will still use iTunes. ok maybe it “could” hurt iTunes in the UK but check out the UK economy and exchange rate – I think it will be years before the UK market makes a difference to any product.
This story is obviously designed to get hits and produce ad revenue. This is a typical ploy used but so called tech sites to get hits – say something bad about Apple in a headline even if you can’t prove it.
You don’t think they have plans to launch in the USA?
More like “The day Spotify died”, after Techcrunch announced it with that title.
Glorious, I want it now!
Apple’s iTunes profit from music are pretty minimal, it’s primary goal is to drive hardware sales. While this application may cost music sales on iTunes, it would certainly do it’s part to drive iPod and iPhone sales, so it may prove to be a win-win proposition for Apple.
I want this:) Though it is probably too disruptive for Apple to accept it.
I´ve been using Spotify since it launched in Sweden in October. From day one people have requested an Iphone application. So the demand for this service on the Iphone is huge (and keeps on getting larger everyday) and I´m sure it will definitely boost sales of the Iphone itself if Apple allowed it on their platform. As I said before, if I could run Spotify (which is by far the best music service i have ever come across) on an Iphone I would buy an Iphone today. And I know a LOT of other people who would do exactly the same. There is simply no better solution in sight for creating the ultimate portable musicdevice. So in short; releasing Spotify on Iphone would, without a doubt, boost Iphone-sales significantly. On the whole, Spotify is very very good news for Apple.
Yes Spotify is superior to anything else I have seen. That director who left Google to work at Spotify knew what he was doing. It’s the next big thing in music and for mobile users not least.
It is also a solution to the entire issue of illegal file sharing of rights protected material. No longer will people have to download copies, they can play them right away. THIS is what kills the iTunes (unless they try to become Spotify).
I’ve been using Spotify in Germany since it launched in October. They had a bumpy start and still keep disappointing their users by constantly removing songs you might already have put in your playlist.
http://www.spotify.com/blog/archives/2009/01/28/some-important-changes-to-the-spotify-music-catalogue/
But in my eyes Spotify’s business model is the future of music distribution. The only thing they’re still missing besides the mobile app are the community features of last.fm or blip.fm.
If it’s only available to premium subscribers what’s to say that Apple won’t just take a cut of the subs?
@the_infonaut: Totally agree. It won’t even surprise me if Apple get Spotify to can the app for other phones.
Besides, what is to stop Apple from starting a similar service? Rumour has it that there is already one in the works. If this happens then who would be one that’s worried?
With almost 3billion in profits already this year Apple is not exactly on the bread line.