Spotify question

Carmen

What has happened to Spotify?
I can now only listen to a song five times then I'm given the option to buy it online!
Is this somrthing new?
Carmen x

WhiteChristmas

It's been like that for about a year now. Spotify's free service is actually far more limited than people realise.

http://www.spotify.com/uk/blog/archives/2011/04/14/upcoming-changes-to-spotify-free-open/

patman99

Spotify have alienated a huge number of their user-base. For instance, the free service only allows you to stream 10 hours a month.
Explains why LastFM has seen a huge upsurge in users over the last year.

Darksun

patman99 wrote: »

Spotify have alienated a huge number of their user-base. For instance, the free service only allows you to stream 10 hours a month.
Explains why LastFM has seen a huge upsurge in users over the last year.

They only alienated a user base that weren't making them any money anyway. When they restricted the free version we decided to start a paid subscription, the extra features (such as mobile, offline playlists and native linux client) are well worth it, and £10 a month for unlimited music is pretty reasonable value really

spannerzone

Indeed, they clearly couldn't continue losing money and so changed the way Spotify works I also pay £5 a month originally because the adverts got very annoying just before they went over to the 5 plays max model.

I especially got annoyed with the advert for the remote PC software with the voice of the bloke from the Apprentice.

patman99

I'm sticking to LastFM for now. Don't mind if I get the odd advert or two.

smitj017

I'm not sure if this is still the case(Virgin give me Premium for free), but there are four Spotify products. Premium, Unlimited, Free and Open. Spotify Free is the one with no limits, but adverts, and Open is the one with the limits. In the UK, we can only sign up to the 'Open' product, however in the US, they can only sign up to the 'Free' product. So by signing up for a brand new US account, and then changing the country in the profile to UK, you can have unlimited playback, albeit with adverts, with a 'Free' account.

EDIT: Just realised you need to sign up with Facebook, not sure if you can do the above now.