Spotify, the popular music streaming service, is preparing to launch a free mobile service in the near future, says the WSJ.
The company, which currently offers a premium tier at $10 a month which includes unlimited mobile streaming, will begin to offer a free, ad-supported version of the same service.
Spotify has already come to licensing agreements with the major labels for such a service. The company is said to have been negotiating for almost a year with Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group over the royalty rates.
The streaming service has 6 million paying subscribers and over 20 million total active users.
What is interesting about the new free mobile service, is that it will allow for a limited amount of on-demand tracks, but will mainly be an equivalent to Pandora or iTunes Radio, which is a user-customized radio station.
Spotify will announce the service next week at a press event in NYC.
Spotify has already come to licensing agreements with the major labels for such a service. The company is said to have been negotiating for almost a year with Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group over the royalty rates.
The streaming service has 6 million paying subscribers and over 20 million total active users.
What is interesting about the new free mobile service, is that it will allow for a limited amount of on-demand tracks, but will mainly be an equivalent to Pandora or iTunes Radio, which is a user-customized radio station.
Spotify will announce the service next week at a press event in NYC.
