Spotify Aims To Compete With PiracyNew streaming P2P audio service ( old news - 11:15AM Sunday Jan 04 2009) Tipped by pghviewer  User pghviewer submits this Torrent Freak report, which profiles a new startup named Spotify, a product from the developer of uTorrent. According to TorrentFreak, Spotify was created by some of the money made when uTorrent was sold to BitTorrent -- the idea being to create a competitor to piracy. The service streams 160kbps quality MP3s immediately from a huge catalog of major label music, in part using P2P technology. From creator Andres Sehr: "Spotify uses a hybrid p2p system where music is delivered both by our servers and using P2P. This allows us to deliver the long tail of music which may not be very popular, as well as quickly serve up the latest hits that the majority of users listen to. P2P allows us to both increase the speed that we deliver music and also lower the cost of streaming it." The service doesn't work with iPods or other media players, which doesn't strike us as much of a piracy alternative, though the social music-sharing aspects of the service look promising. Since it was in closed beta in the U.S., some users note you may be able to successfully sign up if using a UK proxy server.
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Jovi
join:2000-02-24
Mount Joy, PA
| Re: U.S.A. Users Couldn't get through with Dave's proxy. Tried some other UK based ones, and Spotify asks for an invite code. Hmmm...
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"Where's my coffee? Oh. I guess it's my turn to make it."  | |
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mrchris
We don't miss you Bush
Premium
join:2002-10-01
North Babylon, NY | Re: U.S.A. Users Wow, you too. Shadeofice is my last.fm username  | |
| | jbond026
join:2008-03-31
Ames, IA | worked like a charm... thanks alot | |
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swhx7
Premium
join:2006-07-23
Elbonia
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| They still don't get it The only thing new with Spotify is the bittorrent-based transport and instant-start playback. Otherwise it's just another iTunes imitation.
The "About" page on the site doesn't say anything about DRM, but the service apparently requires use of a proprietary player, and that usually signifies DRM.
But *no DRM* is the main qualification for a music service to compete with piracy. The advantage of piracy, apart from price, is being able to take the music to the portable player, the home stereo, and the car, and it won't expire or depend on connecting to internet servers.
Also there's a large minority of audiophiles and purists who just won't pay for lossy files. Only lossless tracks are comparable to CDs.
And yes, prices would have to be a lot less than CD prices, because CDs have been vastly overpriced for a long time (which contributed to the whole piracy situation in the first place), and the economy is down, and online costs are lower than distributing plastic discs. | |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| Re: They still don't get it said by swhx7 :The "About" page on the site doesn't say anything about DRM, but the service apparently requires use of a proprietary player, and that usually signifies DRM. Or worse! they want to load up your system with scumware!
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When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee | |
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Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
 ·AT&T Midwest
 ·Site5.com
·Comcast
| said by swhx7 :But *no DRM* is the main qualification for a music service to compete with piracy. The advantage of piracy, apart from price, is being able to take the music to the portable player, the home stereo, and the car, and it won't expire or depend on connecting to internet servers. Actually, when polled about why people pirate movies and music, over 60% said it was about the price and not having to spend money on the product. Only 20% said it was about DRM. I am trying to find the survey as it was featured on a few of the file sharing sites, but I am not having much luck.
Point is that price is the major factor. Especially with a recession that is now upon us, I see pirating going up. | |
| Littlefalls
join:2004-11-16
Ringwood, NJ
| Cool! I'm using it right now, and I actually think it's pretty cool. I didn't expect them to have some of the artists that I listen too, so it was a nice surprise finding out they had them. Basically, you could listen to the full track of the song continously, but you can't download it. Obviously, there are ways to get around that, but for streaming purposes I really like this software. You can also make playlists too fyi. | |
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DaMaGeINC
The Lan Man
Premium
join:2002-06-08
Greenville, SC
clubs: | Nothing Nothing beats free!!!!!!!!!! | |
| quatrix
join:2005-02-11
Davie, FL | Huh? "Competing" with piracy? Is that like creating an alternative to robbing banks? | |
| | Lineage
rawr?
Premium
join:2006-10-19
USA | Re: Huh? Was wondering the same, lol | |
| | Jonbo298
join:2004-01-12
Council Bluffs, IA | Like teleporting to the vault instead of holding the place up. Efficiency in crimes! | |
| Lineage
rawr?
Premium
join:2006-10-19
USA | Last.fm What real edge does this have over a site like Last.fm? | |
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Flippant
So Much For Subtlety
Premium,Mod
join:2000-06-04
Katy, TX
Host:
Filesharing Software
Earthlink Cable
Texas Gulf Coast
AT&T U-verse
AT&T Southwest
| Where is the upside of uploading... From what I have heard, fewer people are uploading torrents where the upside is obvious. Why would these same people be willing to upload when they are paying for the service when they are not doing it for free now. I do not see many uploaders in this scheme. | |
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mrchris
We don't miss you Bush
Premium
join:2002-10-01
North Babylon, NY | Re: :( Then they should open it up to the rest of the world. | |
| Chaldo
join:2008-03-18
West Bloomfield, MI | beta codes Anyone else got any working invite/beta codeS??? | |
| SuperWISP
join:2007-04-17
Laramie, WY | Another business plan based on taking ISPs' bandwidth Same old song.... This company plans to use P2P to avoid bandwidth costs by taking bandwidth from ISPs. Yet another reason why ISPs should block BitTorrent. | |
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