Record collectors have been using Discogs.com to catalog and trade their wares for years. Now, much of that user-submitted data is finding its way to Spotify and other online music platforms, thanks to a partnership between Discogs and the music data provider The Echo Nest. Read More »
Tech
While Spotify has been churning out news, one question kept popping up: when are we going to get an iPad app? Well, Spotify is finally obliging, giving premium users a polished iPad version that it hopes can rule the living room. Read More »
Spotify is partnering with Coca Cola in a deal that it says will expand its international reach, giving it a boost similar to the way Facebook integration has supercharged usage. Coke will use Spotify to power its music outreach and will help promote the service internationally. … Read More »
Saavn has been hailed as India’s Spotify. But with much of its customer base being in India and much of its catalog being Bollywood fare, things work a little different for the company. One example: Saavn has high hopes for its Blackberry and Symbian apps. Read More »
Mobile handset maker HTC has bought music subscription service MOG, according to a rumor reported by Business Insider. We haven’t been able to verify the rumor, but have also heard that term sheets have been going back and forth between the two companies. Read More »
Although it’s now simpler and more efficient than ever to create a compelling music destination, only a few digital music outlets today are truly successful. Merlin’s CEO Charles Caldas explains why so many services fail, and so few succeed. Read More »
Spotify is claiming that its long-delayed launch in Germany has been caused by internationalization issues — an attempt to distract from the difficulties of negotiating with the country’s notoriously hard music rights collector, GEMA. Read More »
Sequoia’s $10m round of funding for concert database Songkick puts a lot of pressure on the London startup. But CEO Ian Hogarth says he’s ready to cope with everything that’s coming — and plans to make his site the hub for music on the web. Read More »
iLike was once the most popular music application of Facebook, with close to 10 million active users generating 1.5 billion page views per month. On Tuesday, it finally shut down. Its demise proves once again that online music is a tough business to be in. Read More »
A new Pandora competitor called Raditaz combines customized online radio stations with location. Users can see what stations others are listening to in their neighborhood and even geotag stations specific to their gym or office. Raditaz built the service with a team of just seven. Read More »
Spotify is relaunching its Spotify Radio feature, enabling unlimited channels and skipping and more targeted channels in a bid to better take on Pandora. The improvements are limited to the desktop for now, but a mobile version is coming soon. Read More »
The web has been abuzz with speculations about a mystery Spotify event next week, with many arguing the service will launch a download store. But given its recent growth spurred by Facebook, I’d argue a web-based player would make more sense. Read More »
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