Classic Spotify. Extending to new markets while neglecting the problems and concerns of their existing user base. I've been a Spotify user since before they were in the US (using a proxy), and have been a paying customer ever since they expanded to the US.<p>To see how bad the problem is, check out the reviews for their Android app [1]. For <i>years</i> they've released update after update for Android, adding new features and breaking old ones, without addressing the #1 feature request by Android users (many of them <i>paying customers</i>): landscape mode. I've been playing Spotify in my android dock (home and car) by tilting my head 90 degrees to scroll and navigate for a long time. Makes for a fun driving experience.<p>Android users have been getting so frustrated, I've seen a few saying to the effect of, "I'm editing my review to remove a star every time you release a new update without landscape mode." Needless to say, there are lots of 1-star reviews. It's actually a ritual for me now. Every time they release a new update, I like to see what obscure feature they were able to think of this time (usually something like "Added Portugese language support" (no offense to existing users who actually did request this)), and then go read all the new reviews from pissed off users. I'm pretty sure Spotify must have an internal bet going to see how long they can go before adding and fixing the features their existing users are actually asking for.<p>My point to all this? Yeah, this announcement sounds about right.<p>[1] <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spotify.mobile.android.ui&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDMsImNvbS5zcG90aWZ5Lm1vYmlsZS5hbmRyb2lkLnVpIl0" rel="nofollow">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spotify.mo...</a>.
I don't understand why they would move to video. Why not take the <i>concept</i> but apply it to their current business model along with a splash of Amazon's ebook business model?<p>In other words, fund and produce music exclusively for Spotify. Pay some big and/or some up-and-coming names lots of money to go exclusive. Then change the payout for bands that self-publish through Spotify.<p>This breaks the music publisher's stranglehold while seeming far less risky than going straight up against Netflix, HBO, <i>and</i> Amazon in original video content streaming.
How about they focus on launching in other markets first? I heard they were launching in Canada, months ago. Still nothing. And now they want to take on video?<p>One thing at a time Spotify.
The last time I used spotify, it was because somebody linked to a playlist on facebook. I usually like this person's music taste, so I clicked the link, expecting to hear some music.<p><i>You must download our client</i><p>Groan.<p>I downloaded and installed the client, and good job devs, the playlist started playing (I don't think I even had to click anything, seriously good job.)<p>What I was completely NOT okay with, in any capacity was that all of the songs I listened to were broadcast to all of my facebook friends.<p>Would this be the same for film?<p>"Ryan just watched Bellflower on spotify video!"<p>"Ryan just watched a documentary on prostitution on spotify video!"<p>"Ryan just watch Gigli on spotify video!"<p>No thanks.
Ok. There's the attraction that Spotify might have had for that kind of market, along with some synergies in its structure i.e. 1) major shift within an old & monopolistic industry being left behind by new technologies and 2) similarities between the larger music and video industry that Spotify can leverage (having learned from music already). THAT said, the road to disruption can be taken through a highly profitable niche first - avoiding the pressure of being omnipresent from day 1, which is what Spotify will inevitably do. We're in the film space and I'm happy about this development. Competition within new online distribution channels is only good for us.
I have to say that not having used Spotify at all in the past few years I'm amazed at all the feedback about their client. I liked to show off how it was significantly faster to browse and play music than iTunes on a local library. When I last used the service the client was tiny (a few hundred kilobyte), worked under WINE with some modicum of support from the developers. Of course it did have one major issue which led to me leaving it - the inability to throttle let alone disable use of P2P (I know, there are various methods that could do this externally).
I don't understand why everyone wants to be a online video distributor for the Hollywood studio system. You're at the mercy of studios that are, at best, ambivalent about online video. Netflix's costs are sky high and they have to deal with huge swaths of content that is unavailable to them due to exclusivity deals with competing providers. Why on Earth would anybody want to get into this business?<p>Frankly, I don't understand why any of the movie/TV studios need Netflix when they can simply sell their own content direct to the consumer via Internet.
No. No. No. No. No. No. No.<p>Spotify, you seem like nice people, I know some people who work there. You all seem like smart cookies. Please, focus on your <i>core</i> business and develop it. There's so much that still needs doing, and improving, and working on.<p>I'm honestly a happy subscriber and think £9.99 is ridiculously good value for money, but if they think trying to go after a completely nightmarish market which is currently being contested by many companies with many more years experience.<p>Argh.
I hope they aren't planning to bundle their music and video service together and charge more. I already have Amazon Prime because of the volume of stuff I tend to order from Amazon, and I have Netflix and Spotify.<p>If I have to choose between the last two, Spotify will be replaced. Easily. Hell, Spotify hasn't even figured out a way to let users sort their playlists.
No one knows whether NetFlix strategy of financing content will work longterm...<p>Why wouldn't spotify finance content creation in the business where they have the most market knowledge before jumping in to video? Video has to be just as hard, if not harder than music to make a profit from right?
Is there a reason that funding original/exclusive content in music wont work the way that it has in video? (the way that it has worked for HBO/Showtime etc and that Netflix is now trying it?)
Isn't Spotify losing money hand over fist so as a result this is just going to dig a deeper hole since they're taking on the juggernaut that is Netflix?
Their most recent desktop update is a total disaster, their support services are wholly incapable of responding to email in any decent fashion, they still do not provide release notes...<p>Seriously, go read the community forum response to their recent updates. Unmitigated disaster might be an overstatement for how poorly they're launching updates.<p>Spotify, you're <i>already</i> overextended. Your staff <i>categorically cannot</i> keep up with what you're asking. Your software is stretched and bugs are flooding in. Each release is introducing MORE broken features and half-baked implementations of last years catch-phrases.<p>Please, Spotify, stop expanding and start fixing. I've been a loyal customer for some time but I will leave and I will take my money to a company that is actually capable of releasing working desktop software on a schedule...