In the past few months, we have really seen an increase in the conversation about the best music streaming platform. With the recent release of Beats Music, along with talks of an Apple service that could rival Spotify, the room is getting crowded. Apps such as Rdio, Spotify, and Pandora have proven that the subscription model for streaming is viable, but now it is time to see who will rise above the rest. My vote is on Spotify and here is why.
Spotify, which boasts over 25 million active users and 6 million paid subscribers, launched in 2008 to much critical acclaim. With its clean interface, open API, and un-rivaled music database, I can always find something to listen to and ways to discover new artists. I turn on the radio feature, or search the discovery page. There is always something great to listen to, plus I love the Genres & Moods section. Plus it looked the same on all platforms, whether it was the web player, the desktop app, or on mobile. The only problem was that it looked old and outdated.
This week, they decided to switch it up and go to the dark side. The new black design makes the content pop, including artist profile pictures and album covers. They also re-designed certain features, such as adding the “collection” ability, taking a page right out of the Rdio book. They also added a discovery mechanism that suggests music to listen to based on where you are (stemming from their acquisition of Echo Nest). As Director of Developer Platform Paul Lamere said, “this recommendation technology would soon allow apps like Spotify to read your mind and predict the music you wanted to hear, even before you knew it yourself.”
I love Spotify, and gladly fork over the $10 per month for all services provided. The other platforms are great too, but it seems that Spotify is going for the slam dunk. Who is going to make the next big move?
Tell us if you like the new design and what your favorite music streaming service is!
– Kyle (@kyledineen)
*Info taken from Fast Company & Mashable.