Spotify

Voices

Scores of Music Services Stream Into Crowded Field

Hannah Karp, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in Media on December 24, 2013 at 10:38 am PT

The number of music-streaming services is set to explode next year, as record labels have warmed up to the idea of renting consumers access to a vast collection of tunes, rather than selling them individual albums or songs.

No One Buys Music on the Web Anymore. Except When They Buy a Million Beyonce Albums in Five Days.

Peter Kafka in Media on December 18, 2013 at 2:23 pm PT

Beyonce and Apple defy gravity, and a year-long trend. What Does It All Mean?

Spotify’s Daniel Ek on Competition, Controversy and Crossing Over Into the Mainstream

Peter Kafka in Media on December 11, 2013 at 9:53 am PT

“We’ve proved that you can actually make this a business,” says the streaming music service’s CEO. Next step: Making it a really big business, while fighting off new competition.

Voices

Spotify to Introduce Free Mobile Music Service

Hannah Karp, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in Voices on December 5, 2013 at 6:33 pm PT

The streaming-music service, Spotify, which has six million paying subscribers and 20 million active users worldwide, is planning a free, ad-supported version for mobile devices, after previously making mobile users pay a monthly fee.

Beats Music Targeting January Launch

Peter Kafka in Media on December 4, 2013 at 5:30 am PT

Another music subscription service that was supposed to arrive this year is being pushed back. But Jimmy Iovine’s project is still supposed to show up soon.

YouTube’s Music Subscription Service Won’t Show Up This Year

Peter Kafka in Media on December 3, 2013 at 5:36 pm PT

Google already launched one paid music service this year. The next one will have to wait till 2014.

Voices

A Penny for Your Song? Spotify Spills Details on Artist Payments.

Sven Grundberg, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in Media on December 3, 2013 at 10:23 am PT

Ever wondered how much an artist gets every time you click their song on services like Spotify?

News Byte

Rdio Names New CEO

Peter Kafka in News on December 3, 2013 at 4:53 am PT

Music subscription service Rdio has a new CEO: Anthony Bay, a tech executive who most recently headed up Amazon’s digital video business. Former CEO Drew Larner, who has run the four-year-old company for most of its history, will become a vice chairman.

Voices

Spotify Raises $250 Million, Valued Above $4 Billion

John D. Stoll, Evelyn Rusli and Sven Grundberg, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal in Media on November 21, 2013 at 11:58 am PT

Swedish music-streaming company Spotify AB has secured nearly $250 million in new financing led by Silicon Valley firm Technology Crossover Ventures, valuing the company somewhere “north” of $4 billion dollars, according to multiple people familiar with the deal.