Spotify launches in the United States
Spotify entered the U.S. market with free, ad-supported and paid on-demand music tiers, expanding beyond Europe for the first time.
Исторический контекст
By 2011, subscription music services such as Rhapsody, MOG and Rdio were already competing with downloads, while record labels were looking for legal alternatives to piracy without abandoning licensing revenue. Spotify had built substantial usage in Europe but needed agreements with Universal, Sony, EMI and Warner before entering the world's largest recorded-music market.
Что произошло
Spotify became available in the United States on July 14, 2011 after lengthy negotiations with the major record companies. The launch offered an invite-based free tier, a paid desktop tier and a premium tier with mobile and offline listening.
Последствия
The U.S. launch turned Spotify from a primarily European service into a major global challenger to downloads and digital radio. It helped establish the freemium, on-demand subscription model that became a dominant form of music consumption during the following decade.
Связанные люди
Источники
- Spotify reveals the detail behind its US launchTechCrunch
- Spotify announces launch in the USThe Guardian