Top iPad Music Apps (a/o May 23rd):
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That is, paying subscribers, not just 'users'. The latest estimate comes from Reuters, which is citing several sources on the accomplishment. The quarter-million, US-based figure puts the broader subscriber total "well north" of two million worldwide, and closely follows the splashy Facebook integration.
That's been a massive stage for Spotify, though the integration
is a bit rough around the edges. Regardless, it appears to be building awareness and converting subscribers, though we're unclear which tier (Unlimited at $4.99 or Premium at $9.99) is getting the most traction.
Either way, a quarter-million is certainly substantial, especially after just a few months on American soil. But it still pales in comparison to Rhapsody, whose subscriber tally is comfortably past one million following its Napster acquisition. Ah, but that's where momentum comes in: Rhapsody has been languishing in this market for roughly a decade (depending on where you draw the line), and its subscriber acquisition process has been grindingly slow and expensive.
Spotify has experienced a quicker shuttle towards critical mass, though its cost structure is positively scary. Recently-divulged financial statements exposed astronomical licensing and administrative costs, though the big bet is that aggressive subscriber rolls will make the model float. Let's see how that works out.
/paul.
Comments Closed
@madktc Friday, October 14, 2011
Paul, what were you listening to while writing this article? Were you using Spotify?
lol! Just trying to throw some humor in on a Friday.
Best!
paul Friday, October 14, 2011
Actually I was listening to Obituary on Slacker, ported through a WiFi-connected Logitech Squeezebox Boom.
TMI?
@madktc Friday, October 14, 2011
lulz!!!
Jonathan Jaeger Friday, October 14, 2011
I'll add a roflcopter to the mix.
@JFortunePhoto Friday, October 14, 2011
James Fortune
impressive, I've enjoyed it so far.
Tech question Saturday, October 15, 2011
Does the number of "US based subscribers" include forreign subscribers via proxy/VPN?
paul Monday, October 17, 2011
That's a difficult question, unfortunately I don't have close enough access to the data to answer it. I suppose there are layers here, one being which country the proxy is pretending to be (US or a European country). And, I'm almost certain this is information Spotify will keep private. /paul
HansH Monday, October 17, 2011
When creating an account you can only choose the country that corresponds with the IP-address you are using. So everyone using a US proxy is recorded as US user.
US accounts are popular because of the low rates for premium.
There was a run on US Premiun E-cards what lead to this:
Mind. E-cards bought in the US can be used in all countries so that has little or no effect on the number of US paying subscribers
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