Popular European music streaming service Spotify is finally set to open its doors to US audiences. On July 14th the company will open a limited beta to folks that have signed up for early access before rolling out the service to a wider audience.
While most on-demand music streaming services in the US, such as Rhapsody, Slacker, and MOG charge a flat monthly fee of $10, Spotify will take a different approach by offering several different options.
- Users will be able to listen to an ad-supported version using a web browser for free for up to
2010 hours per month. - $4.99 per month eliminates the ads and the time limit.
- For $9.99 per month you can use Spotify’s mobile apps for ad-free music-on-demand on your smartphone.
The company that offers the most Spotify-like service in the US right now is probably Grooveshark — but that company operates amidst a constant state of legal challenges since Grooveshark tends to post music first and ask for permission later. Spotify will be launching with the cooperation of the big four major music labels in the United States.
Update: Spotify’s US service will only offer free users up to 10 hours per month of music.
