Spotify - legal music streaming

Subject: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 11:03 AM

Who is using Spotify? It's an amazing new free facility, based in Sweden, that allows you to listen to an incredible range of music of all sorts.

The bad news for many Mudcatters is, currently it is only available to people in the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Sweden, Norway and Finland. (Though there appear to be ways around this...)

No - not downloads, you listen to them on the PC. And it's all legal and OK with the record companies involved. There are occasional ads which aren't much of a nuisance (and you can pay a to get rid of them. I think maybe people in places like the USA and other places might be able to get this paid version.)

Limited when it comes to English folk music (though I came across songs by people such as Walter Pardon and Harry Stubbs), but there's plenty of vintage Americana - Charlie Poole, Blue Sky Boys, in among everything else - Mozart, Georges Brassens, African music, Pushkin or Dante read in the original...

Google Spotify and find out more if you are interested.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Will Fly
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 11:25 AM

I have it on at the moment - the complete "Grandson Of Morris On" album - and it's great! I've been using it for a few days and have listened to everything from Patsy Cline to King Oliver to Duck Baker to Richard Thompson to Mark Knopfler to Chet Atkins...

It's very tempting to plug in my Minidisc and download everything as I play it, but I'm resisting the temptation and using it as a guide to future buying.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Rasener
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 11:36 AM

I have been using Spotify for some time. Maybe this could be used to say what folk music you have managed to find by artists. These are the ones I have looked at.

Cara Dillon, Eddie Reader, June Tabor, Faustus, Christy Moore

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Will Fly
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 11:54 AM

Been listening to Linda & Richard Thompson, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Grandson of Morris On, Albion Band, Memphis Jug Band, Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, Show Of Hands, Bob Fox, Nick Drake...

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: caitlin rua
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 12:08 PM

Free, and all legal and OK with the record companies involved - does this mean that these artists get some sort of remuneration out of it, a royalty or anything? I know that "payment" has beome a dirty word on the internet, and I also know that the enhanced exposure and appreciation mean a lot to any performer. But they can't pay their bills with appreciation, however sincere or widespread.

I've heard nothing but raves about Spotify and I'm not trying to knock it. But I DO want to know more about how it operates. Anyone fill me in?

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Rasener
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 12:22 PM

yes as far as I know its like this.
For £9 a month you can have Spotify without Adverts.
Otherwise you get an advert about every 30 minutes.
As far as I know, the 2 above cover the income, that goes to the artists/record companies.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 12:50 PM

I just read the terms and conditions. Oh well. I shall not be using the service until I have figured out how to use a secure computer on my network different from the ocmputer I use for work, so that if worst comes to the worst I can throw the hard drive away!

Also so that the permitted use by spotify of my computer (!) cannot access secure information.

I also don't like the fact that they can change the T+Cs without notice and it's up to the user to keep an eye out for changes and the change is instant, not after a period of notice (indeed I think that is contrary to one of the EU directives).

And I don't really want to give them any of my personal information, thanks.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 01:36 PM

"No - not downloads, you listen to them on the PC. "

I have access to way more music than I can listen to already, so I won't try sneaking in to Spotify from the US....but.... unless they have finally figured out how to 'stream' with no residue, anything you listen to as 'streaming' IS downloaded to your computer. It may be hidden in a temp file, or renamed with some arcane code....but if you know how to dig thru your browser's cache and temp files, you can save the song.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 01:43 PM

Can't you just record it direct off your computer?

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 02:08 PM

You could record it directly, and I imagine there are other ways as well - but why bother? It's there when you want it, and it's not getting in the way when you don't.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Rasener
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 02:36 PM

Its totally streaming and doesn't rely on your browser being open.

It is illegal to copy the music to your PC, so I beleive.

This is a review from a website called Tech Digest. It covers the top 10.

Quote

Today, I'm going to tell you about some of my favourite sources of free, legal music on the internet. It's entirely possible, contrary to what major record labels would have you believe, to live completely free of paying for recorded music.

1) Spotify
Top of the table, though, is perennial Tech Digest favourite Spotify. Although it doesn't go on the move (though they're hiring S60 programmers), it's by far the best music streaming solution for your desktop because it's all on-demand. It basically operates like iTunes, except with the biggest iTunes catalogue in the world.

Spotify makes its money from selling premium subscriptions, and from putting ads in the software and in between every tenth song or so. It hits the top of the list due to ease of use, simplicity, and a vast catalogue. It's fantastic, free, and you should use it now. Go on. Do it now.


End of quote

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Jack Campin
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 05:02 PM

Doesn't it use peer-to-peer connections? (which would explain why it needs to use your computer).

I found it an appalling network bandwidth hog.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 06:32 PM

I found it an appalling network bandwidth hog.

So what bad consequences result from that?

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 06:45 PM

The T&Cs dont tell you what is to be done to your computer - they merely say taht you consent to it!

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Will Fly
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 11:31 AM

Another interesting use of Spotify is to do a search on a song title and see the various versions. I've just been looking at "Singing The Blues" and discovered some weird and wonderful versions of the song, from Carl Perkins to Jerry Lee Lewis to Paul McCartney...

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 12:26 PM

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
I shall not be joining, thanks.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Jack Campin
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 04:58 PM

I found it an appalling network bandwidth hog.
So what bad consequences result from that?

None, if nobody else using the same network connection wants to do anything with it.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:31 PM

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

People always roll out that one as if it were a trump card in an argument. But it's not strictly true. What is true is that, if you are offered a free lunch you shouldn't assume it actually is free, so have a good sniff around, because there generally is a price involved.

But often enough the price involved is very acceptable. And indeed frequently enough the lunch really is free, in the sense that you aren't the one paying the price.

I'd definitely call the Mudcat a free lunch and a half.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: GUEST,Woody
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:51 PM

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Oh I don't know though. Sometimes you just have to look.what about this? Even better than free ;-)

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Arnie
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 03:29 PM

I'm listening to Rod Stewart's version of Waltzing Matilda on Spotify right now - they certainly do have an eclectic range of songs! Great site for free music and it's my newly found music site of choice when I working on the computer. I have to admit though that having read Richard's comments, I'm now starting to worry about what Spotify are doing to my PC that I don't know about....

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 04:25 PM

I'm listening to some extraordinary church music from Catalonia - El Cancionerio de Montecassino, which I would pretty certainly never have found any other way. (Here's the link, but you need to have Spotify installed to open it La Capella Reial de Catalunya)

I'm willing to risk it for the chance to access the music I've been stumbling over the last few days.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: Howard Jones
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 07:07 PM

I installed it, but it seemed to think my firewall was blocking access to the internet (even when I turned it off) and asked for proxy settings, which I don't understand. I can't be bothered to mess about trying to get it to work as there are other sources of music out there.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 07:51 PM

For finding the stuff I know I want there are indeed plenty of other sources - but for finding the stuff I didn't know I wanted to hear, I haven't found anything to come near.

I've had no problems like those Howard mentioned, just register and download, and log on - maybe it's something to do with what kind of broadband connection you have. Mine is cable (Virgin Media).

Just found they'd got a couple of Rick Fielding's records.

Subject: RE: Spotify - great, but only for some...
From: GUEST,jOhn
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 12:51 PM

i been using it for about a week now, a driver at work told me about it, theres loads of music on it, and its really nice.

Subject: spotify.com
From: Simon G
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 12:49 PM

My music listening has changed dramatically in the last two or three weeks, since I was introduced to spotify.com. If you don't know of it, and it hasn't made it across the atlantic form Europe yet, spotify offers legal music streaming using peer-to-peer technology. It is free as long as you can put up with a 15 sec advert every 20 minutes or so, £9.99 ($15) if you don't want the ads.

I've listened to lots of new things in the last week, but I haven't touched the music I've bought wither on CD or mp3. Maybe this is a spotify honeymoon, but something tells me it isn't I think a paradigm shift is occuring and I won't be going back to CDs or my hard driver for music very soon, except of course when I'm offline -- but that is getting pretty rare.

I've listened to some fantastic music that I would never have accessed before. This seems a great opportunity for less well known artists, for they are the people I've been listening to and promoting to my spotty friends. What do others think?

Simon

Subject: RE: spotify.com
From: bobad
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 01:07 PM

In Canada:

"This product is not available in your country yet."

Subject: RE: spotify.com
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 01:11 PM

Not available in the US, either. However, we can get a nice selection of music at http://www.last.fm/

-Joe-

Subject: RE: spotify.com - legal music streaming
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 01:54 PM

See if you can get this in the states or Canada.
Once on the site, scroll down and make your choice for the Celtic / British Folk Stream
http://www.folkradio.co.uk/listen--tune-in

Subject: RE: spotify.com - legal music streaming
From: Simon G
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 01:58 PM

This is much bigger than last.fm. See this blog for example. I haven't put my finger on why, but I'm sure it is.

Subject: RE: spotify.com - legal music streaming
From: GUEST,squeezeboxhp
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 02:44 PM

best thing i have been introduced to in years, listened to stuff that i thought i would never hear again

Subject: RE: spotify.com - legal music streaming
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 02:54 PM

I got spotify ages ago.
I did query with them if you could download muisc and this was their reply.

Hello!

Spotify is a streaming service and not a downloading service. You can stream music to your computer or laptop.

Our service is completely legal.

Best regards,
Rebecca
--
Spotify support team
[e-mail]

Spotify FAQ - http://www.spotify.com/en/help/faq/
Spotify Blog - http://www.spotify.com/blog/


Here is a review of the top ten, One is Spotify.

http://www.techdigest.tv/2009/01/top_10_tuesday_9.html

Subject: RE: Spotify music streaming- great, but only for s
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Jan 10 - 07:31 PM

Norton Antivirus told me it had automatically deleted a Trojan Horse today. I was grateful - until I realized that they had misdetected Spotify as a Trojan Horse and had removed it from my computer.
I tried reinstalling Spotify, and that didn't work until I went to Symantec/Norton and downloaded and installed "Rapid Release Virus Definitions."
After that, my Spotify reinstallation was successful.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Spotify music streaming- Trojan Horse?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Jan 10 - 05:18 PM

refresh, just in case anybody else lost Spotify yesterday. Put the blame on Norton.

Subject: RE: Spotify music streaming
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 04:30 PM

I find I'm in "offline mode" today, and I can't get any music. How do I get back in "online mode"? Usually I can get back online by rebooting my computer, but it seems to me there should be a more direct way.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Spotify music streaming
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Jul 13 - 04:06 AM

I was disappointed that I couldn't access my (paid) Spotify account on my Chromebook or on my Kindle Fire. All I could play was "Spotify radio," which is like Pandora - you can choose the style of music, but not the specific music.

Within the last couple weeks, I've found I can access play.spotify.com on my Web browser. If I sign in, I can play anything in the vast Spotify library. I've glad they've fixed that. Now I can get all the music I want for five bucks a month, with no ads.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Spotify - legal music streaming
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jul 13 - 05:36 PM