For some time now I´ve been using the new online music service Spotify. The program is to other popular music players. It has a volume controll, possibility for playlists and, a timeline and buttons to change between tracks. So nothing revolutionary about that. The big difference is the music library. Where my others music players are using my local storage to play songs is Spotify connected to a huge internet library.

Here is the whole deal about Spotify, its using a online library consisting of songs from big labels like Universial, Sony Music, EMI and Warner. As long you are connected to the server you can stream (play directly from the server without downloading more than technical necessary ) songs from the huge library. The system is working fast and right after selecting a song its starts to play.

Since the music is stored online you need to be connected to the Internet to play it. But in todays society you have access to the Internet almost everywhere. At a normal day, you can hear music first home, take it with you to work, hearing music from your laptop connected to a wireless hotspot at your local caffe of waiting for a train, a bus of a plane (last one usualy very expensive). You don´t even need your own computer. Since the version of “MGMTs kids” that I´m listening to is the same that you are listenting to from Spotify, I can simply log on to my account from your place and play it. The playlists are connected to the account, but the songs not. I can also make a collaborative playlist, so you can add songs to my playlist.

If I mean that you have to hear a song, before I had to send the file, and before that I had to lend you the CD or the tape. Now I can just select the song, ask for the identifier and send you an URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that works as a link to the song or the album.

Before, when I was speaking of illegal downloading I was speaking about the point, which many has pointed out, its easy, but it cant promise quality. Well Spotify is easier and the quality is good. So could this be a solution to piracy? Maybe to music.

The whole thing comes in three different packages: A 24 Hour access pass for 9 NOK an hour, a premimum membership for 99 NOK a month and a free membership with commercials, but then you need an invite.

I think solutions like this has holds a lot of potential. Easy access, good quality to a low cost is a good deal.

Comment: Thanks to Hoa for clarifying that Spotify uses a bit-torrent like way of distributing music. So this means that if you are hearing at a song, could be as an examle Kids from MGMT, then it could be that you are transmitting this from your neighbor, if she has it stored in the cache, and not from the server.