Spotify Takes a Bow on the Streaming Music Stage

The Swedish streaming music service Spotify is making its official entry into the U.S. market today, after nearly two years of stop-start negotiations with major record labels.

With less than 48 hours before its planned start, the company still had not completed its final major deal, with the Warner Music Group. The deal happened, though, and the unveiling took place on schedule.

The company launches in the U.S. with three services:

• Spotify Free (invite-only at the moment), with access to over 15 million songs;
• Spotify Unlimited, with unlimited ad-free access to those songs for $4.99 a month; and
• Spotify Premium, with access to all of the site’s music across a range of devices with access to exclusive content, compilations, and special offers for $9.99 a month.

It’s the same three-tier system the company uses in Europe.

“We’re launching in partnership with some of the biggest and most pioneering brands in the world, who all want to help us spread the good word of Spotify,” the company said.

“We believe that music is the most social thing there is and that’s why we’ve built the best social features into Spotify for easy sharing and the ultimate in music discovery,” the company said on its blog. “Even if you aren’t a total music freak, chances are you have a friend who is and whose taste you admire. I’m looking forward to connecting with some of you guys in the US through Spotify and discovering some cool new tracks.”