Business News Digital

More delays for launch of Spotify USA?

By | Published on Thursday 12 November 2009

Rumours continue that the much anticipated US launch of Spotify is being delayed as negotiations with labels and publishers prove trickier than the popular streaming service would have wished. According to Digital Music News, a discussion about Spotify’s US launch at a recent conference in Monte Carlo revealed that US music publishers were dragging their heals.

Concern also remains in the US over the ad-funded free service that Spotify has led with in Europe. Some American labels worry that such a compelling free service will hinder the slowly emerging market for subscription-based music services in the US. The fact Spotify is still struggling to convert serious amounts of European free users into ten pound a month subscribers will add to those concerns. Nevertheless, Spotify main man Daniel Ek is still talking about an early 2010 US launch for his service.

In related news, TechCrunch has reported that another free-to-use streaming service in the US, the expanded MySpace Music proposition, will restrict the amount of free streaming in the near future, and increasingly push a subscription service. It’s thought ad revenues are not as high as hoped, and the end of an ad sales deal between MySpace and Google is forcing a rethink.



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