Spotify restricts free services

The digital music service Spotify will restrict its free services, starting on May 1st. It will only be possible to listen free of charge during six months. After that, only ten hours per month will be for free and the users will only be able to listen to the same tune five times.

The founder of Spotify, Daniel Ek, expresses in a blog comment his hope that some of the free listeners will start paying for a subscription.

As expected, there have been reactions from all positions, from mere disappointment to others, urging people to think of those who produce music and suggestions that free listeners should make their own music and then let others listen to it without asking for compensation.

The magazine Affärsvärlden links to SAMI, a Swedish interest organisation for artists and musicians that look after the rights of artists and musicians in accordance with Swedish and international copyright laws without any profit interest. On its website, SAMI emphasizes that license money will enable more people to work as a musicians, which leads to a greater variety of musical choice. Read more at www.sami.se

(Source: The magazine Affärsvärlden)