Online music service Spotify is planning to expand to the US and launch a mobile version by years end.
The service lets fans stream over three million tracks legally at no cost. The company has gained more than a million users in the UK since its official release in October.
According to founder Daniel Ek, Spotify wants to be everywhere, and doesn’t want to be limited to one device.
Ek did reveal that the new mobile service will only work with a paid monthly subscription.
“Portability is an important aspect, [as is] interoperability with other devices,” he added.
“That\’s definitely something we think is a premium product that people are willing to pay for – being able to bring the music with you or being able to have it working on your stereo.”
Spotify is currently developing an iPhone application, but is also seeking to develop the service on other mobile platforms.
“I definitely hope that it will be before the end of this year that we\’ll do something which allows people to bring the music with them.”
Spotify’s current service is available in Norway, Finland, France, and Spain, in addition to the UK and Sweden.
According to Ek, the service has been a huge hit in the UK since its launch in October.
Ek, a 25-year-old entrepreneur, created Spotify in an attempt to create a legal alternative to illegal file-sharing services.
He has not revealed how many users have paid to subscribe, but says more extras will be added to encourage users to sign up for the monthly fee.
Some of the extras will include better sound quality, new release previews, social networking features, and exclusive tracks for well-known artists.
The company also plans to sell music merchandise like vinyl, T-shirts, and concert tickets to users as they listen to their favorite artists.
Spotify is expected to announce a deal with Last.fm, a well-known streaming site, to provide song recommendations for fans.
“We definitely want to have music recommendation,” said Ek. “I\’d love to work with someone like Last.fm and I think in a couple of days you\’ll see some sort of announcement. Something will happen.”
According to Ek, the company does not plan to focus on streaming video anytime soon.
“It\’s something that we\’ve considered but we\’re focusing right now on the audio side, and we\’re focusing on generating revenue.”
“At the moment there are other features that are higher up in the priority list, but it\’s definitely not something that we\’ve excluded.”
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