Spotify announces expansion, changes in service at NYC event

Spotify held a press event in New York City today to announce some changes to their service. One of the most anticipated changes was the addition of most of the Led Zeppelin catalog to the service.To help users access that new content, Spotify also announced changes to their service to provide a free tier of streaming music on Android and iOS tablets, somewhat mirroring their desktop service. Free streaming will also be available on smartphones, but with a caveat. Users will not be able to set an order once they select an artist or playlist. Instead, content will be delivered in a random, shuffle fashion with ads every few songs. Users will be provided with up to six “skips” per hour. On tablets or the desktop, users will still have to hear the ads, but the music will not be shuffled. According to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, the move to offer a free tier is expected to entice users to upgrade to one of the company’s premium tiers. Users will notice a new “shuffle” button in the interface now if they are using the free service.

Along with the new free service Spotify also announced their expansion into twenty new markets including: