

Spotify Plans to Take on Netflix and HBO with Streaming Video Service - hornokplease
http://www.businessinsider.com/spotify-plans-to-take-on-netflix-and-hbo-with-streaming-video-service-2013-3

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JangoSteve
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.

To see how bad the problem is, check out the reviews for their Android app
[1]. For _years_ 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 _paying customers_ ): 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.

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.

My point to all this? Yeah, this announcement sounds about right.

[1]
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spotify.mo...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spotify.mobile.android.ui&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDMsImNvbS5zcG90aWZ5Lm1vYmlsZS5hbmRyb2lkLnVpIl0).

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SoftwareMaven
I don't understand why they would move to video. Why not take the _concept_
but apply it to their current business model along with a splash of Amazon's
ebook business model?

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.

This breaks the music publisher's stranglehold while seeming far less risky
than going straight up against Netflix, HBO, _and_ Amazon in original video
content streaming.

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k-mcgrady
I don't think exclusivity is something a musician would do, it would just lead
to massive piracy and fans who can't listen to the music without signing up to
yet another music service.

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jefe78
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?

One thing at a time Spotify.

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madsushi
I see a lot of complaints about companies not doing business in every country.
When I look at the tangled mess that is the worldwide copyright system, I feel
privileged, not entitled, to services like Spotify and Netflix. They've put a
lot of work and effort into making their service legal and profitable (not an
easy combo), and so if they're not available everywhere, I give them the
benefit of the doubt. Every company would love to be ubiquitously global, but
the copyright system is what's blocking them, not their own ineptitude.

~~~
GFischer
I'm incredibly happy that Netflix launched in Uruguay, and currently pay for 4
subscription (mine, my parents' and my uncles').

Service is great and the total of the 4 subscriptions is less than ONE crappy
local cable service (which is a monopoly by collusion of the 4 local firms).

Copyright is hard, but I really hope companies go after our markets :)

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icebraining
How do they handle the language? Does everyone understand English well enough,
or do they have subtitles?

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GFischer
Every movie available has at the very least Spanish and Portuguese subtitles,
and most have dual audio as well.

Much better than a DVD actually :) and a LOT better than cable (I strongly
dislike dubbed movies), no stupid messages at the beginning, and can I usually
listen to English audio with Spanish subtitles (my family does as well, we all
learnt English).

The downside is that the movie selection is even more limited than in the U.S.
- but since I'm not a movie buff, it's more than enough for me. And they have
a lot of shows that aren't otherwise available (like Top Gear, which I needed
to download from the net since it wasn't legally available in my country
before).

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blhack
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.

 _You must download our client_

Groan.

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.)

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.

Would this be the same for film?

"Ryan just watched Bellflower on spotify video!"

"Ryan just watched a documentary on prostitution on spotify video!"

"Ryan just watch Gigli on spotify video!"

No thanks.

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jennyjenjen
I can understand complaining about having to download the client - that's
annoying - but the Facebook settings are easily fixed.

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nicholassmith
And they're fixing the concern of downloading the client by implementing the
web client, but that's still in beta at the moment.

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bornonmars
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.

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asb
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).

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booruguru
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?

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.

~~~
ryusage
I'd say the studios "need" Netflix largely because people want all of their
content accessible in one place, and Netflix has established itself as one of
the major places people like to get it.

You're right, though, it's a very competitive space, and if the studios could
get their crap together, they could certainly destroy Netflix. Unfortunately,
I'm not convinced they're flexible enough to do it.

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nicholassmith
No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

Spotify, you seem like nice people, I know some people who work there. You all
seem like smart cookies. Please, focus on your _core_ business and develop it.
There's so much that still needs doing, and improving, and working on.

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.

Argh.

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MisterBastahrd
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.

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.

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wtvanhest
No one knows whether NetFlix strategy of financing content will work
longterm...

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?

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kunle
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?)

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j2labs
I think it could work in theory, but the risks appear to be higher. I
speculate that it's easier to build a successful TV series than it is to build
a popular record.

I'm no expert in the music industry, but I've played in multiple bands, gone
on national tours, and have friends who are legit rock stars so I know a thing
or two. But like I said, the above is speculation and I'm no expert.

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k-mcgrady
I think the biggest problem would be the piracy caused by only releasing music
on one retailer. It would also cause difficulty for fans (I use Rdio and have
to switch to Spotify just to hear the new album from a band I like?) which is
something I doubt musicians want to do.

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kunle
I would think there's no reason not to release it everywhere (I assume
syndication will eventually happen to netflix produced content because why
leave additional content revenue on the table?)

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afreak
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?

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k-mcgrady
Would it not make more sense for them to partner with or challenge Vevo?
Getting into music videos seems like a much more natural step.

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j2labs
Offline mode for video would be fantastic.

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criley
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...

Seriously, go read the community forum response to their recent updates.
Unmitigated disaster might be an overstatement for how poorly they're
launching updates.

Spotify, you're _already_ overextended. Your staff _categorically cannot_ 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.

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...

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daigoba66
Check out Rdio. It's a super simple UI, focused on the music, and more
importantly IT WORKS.

The only downside is that their catalog is missing a few exclusives that
Spotify was able to get.

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2mur
This. Rdio is great.

