Spotify set to reinvent their popular music app with a browser-based version.
Hot on the heels of reports that Apple is planning to launch its own online music streaming service, Spotify have revealed that they are planning to launch a browser-based version of their app. The web-based version will contain new and improved features, including extra ways to discover new music.
It’s been almost a year since Spotify released the last major update to their app, and now it’s become clear the company are moving their service online. As well as the extra features, there are also whispers that the new version might bring lower monthly subscription prices for the mobile app.
Despite receiving a boost in users after being one of the first companies featured in Facebook’s Open Graph platform, Spotify’s software has remained almost the same. Over the past year, the company have tweaked their iPhone and Android apps, released an iPad app, started the Spotify app platform and launched a new free online radio service that directly competes with Pandora.
The new web-based app will allow users to access their Spotify account and listen to music from any computer, not just machines that already have the software installed.
The major reported feature upgrades include an increased emphasis on discovery and sharing. Currently, the service doesn’t have any kind system to suggest whose music recommendations can be trusted. Although you can subscribe to other users’ playlists, you have no way of knowing how good their recommendations are.
In the new version, Spotify will provide users with a list of suggested artists to follow, and they are rumored to be recruiting celebrities, musicians and DJs to create and share their own playlists.
Other reports about the new Spotify focus on pricing. Currently the service has 4 million paid subscribers, but earns very little profit on each due to the high royalty rates charged by record companies.
As well as focusing on desktop users, the company hope the new browser-based app will both bring in more users and more paying subscribers. One way of achieving the latter is to entice users to sign up to Spotify Premium by offering a lower monthly fee for an ad-free service that also works on mobile.
Spotify haven’t announced the exact release date of their new browser, however users could start seeing the new player available as early as next month.
Hannah is a freelance writer from London, UK. Having completed a degree in English, she discovered a passion for all things digital, and enjoys nothing more than writing about online communication, marketing and anything Apple-related. When she's not researching the latest app releases or ogling new gadgets, Hannah enjoys writing about personal development, yoga, and exploring the world. | Google Plus
