7 posts and columns on music service

News Byte

Spotify Heads to Germany

in Media on March 12 at 8:18 am PT

Spotify will get access to a major new market tomorrow, when it opens for business in Germany. Like last year’s move into the U.S., the streaming music service will find several competitors waiting for it, including Simfy and Rhapsody (via its Napster purchase). Spotify will use the same pricing plan it offers in the rest of Europe: Limited free access and a 10-euro-per-month plan for unlimited and mobile service.

News Byte

Rhapsody Arrives in U.K. and Germany Via Napster Deal

in Media on January 26 at 12:01 am PT

Streaming music service Rhapsody, which has only been available in the U.S. for the last 11 years, has finally made it to Europe. The service has finished a deal to buy one-time competitor Napster’s operations in the U.K. and Germany; last fall, Rhapsody bought Napster’s U.S. assets. Rhapsody competitor Spotify isn’t in Germany yet, but industry sources expect that to change soon.

Voices

Motorola Executive Defends Tablet Price Tag

in News on February 16, 2011 at 9:00 pm PT

Motorola Mobility chief Sanjay Jha confirmed that the company’s new Xoom tablet will go on sale in the U.S. at $800, a higher price tag than current market leader Apple’s iPad. And in what has been described as the worst kept secret in the tech world, he seemed to confirm the existence of Google’s much talked about music service.

INQ Mobile Decides to Friend Facebook and Spotify for New Android Phone (Video)

in Mobile on February 9, 2011 at 2:03 pm PT

Folks hoping for a Facebook phone straight from Marc Zuckerberg will have to wait a while longer. But for those who want an Android device with a whole lot of connections to the social network, INQ Mobile’s new Cloud line could be just the ticket.

A Store, a Cloud Service and Sharing: Here's What Google Music Might Look Like

in Media on September 15, 2010 at 10:13 am PT

A download store, a music locker and the ability to share some of your music with your friends, for $25 a year. That’s what Google would like its music service to look like, according to a new report. There aren’t any deals in place yet, so the reality may look entirely different. But it sounds good on paper….

Spotify Expands Its Reach, but Still Can’t Get to the U.S.

in Media on November 23, 2009 at 5:36 am PT

Another expansion for Spotify, the much hyped European streaming music service: It’s now going to be available on Nokia phones and other handsets that run the Symbian platform. That’s good, because the service is supposed to work best as a mobile play. But Spotify has yet to make a key expansion: To the U.S., where the big music labels worry that consumers will love everything about the site except paying for it.
hismastersvoice

Getting a New Windows Computer With XP

in Mossberg’s Mailbox on August 13, 2008 at 5:00 pm PT

Walt Mossberg answers readers’ questions about how to get a new Windows computer with the XP operating system, small portable radios, and the functions of MailBug.