It feels like we’ve been hearing the same song and dance regarding Spotify’s US launch for months now. It’s always just over the horizon. An email sent to All Things D is at least tacit confirmation that a launch is imminent. The message was sent to the few Us users of Spotify test accounts to let them know they’re going to have to start paying up. The email also said that a US launch was coming “over the coming months”. Well, at least they didn’t say years.
The problem is getting deals worked out with the record labels. An EMI deal is expected to close any time, and things are looking up for Universal. Spotify has been seeding the media elite with test accounts to drum up support for the service, and it seems to be working. People are still clambering for Spotify despite several music streaming services in the US.
Free users of Spotify get mobile streaming, ad-free playback, and unlimited tunes. For this, they pay about $13.50 per month. The free version limits the number of tracks per month, and has occasional ads. Millions use the service in Europe, do you think it can still find an audience here?