

Spotify launches iPad app - abhinavsharma
https://www.spotify.com/us/ipad/

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TamDenholm
About damn time, i've been waiting for this for ages. I abandoned MP3's when i
signed up for spotify years ago. I like using my iPad and my bluetooth
speakers as a stereo system with a decent remote control so having a proper
interface now makes the experience much better.

Well done spotify! Now go sort out the record labels that dont like streaming
so i have a full library.

~~~
CrazedGeek
Even if they get the rights to more music from more labels (and maybe even as
a result of that), there will still be a decent amount of independent artists
who simply won't put their music on Spotify for multiple good reasons.

I'm not going to demonize Spotify for doing these things, but if their
business practices mean that I can't listen to the music that I want, then I
have no reason to use their service.

[1]: [http://www.stevelawson.net/2011/12/why-ive-taken-my-music-
of...](http://www.stevelawson.net/2011/12/why-ive-taken-my-music-off-spotify/)

[2]: (warning: will autoplay video; important bit is the linked comment)
[http://www.youtube.com/comment?lc=nDvhKYygZTshP0TGDq8ZjxVo0M...](http://www.youtube.com/comment?lc=nDvhKYygZTshP0TGDq8ZjxVo0MLa7csOoo5IxR1b4Ew)

[3]: [http://gigaom.com/2011/12/11/why-spotify-can-never-be-
profit...](http://gigaom.com/2011/12/11/why-spotify-can-never-be-profitable-
the-secret-demands-of-record-labels/)

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Derbasti
I used to be a subscriber to Spotify, back when I had to jump through crazy
hoops to be able to subscribe to it from Germany (involving a VPN, entropay
and paypal with a fake address).

I have since moved on to Rdio, which does not have as good a music selection
(in Germany) but this awesome "artist radio" feature, which is kind of like
Last.fm or Pandora, but better. I absolutely LOVE this feature.

Does Spotify have something like this? It did not when I last checked.

Also, does the iPad app work with AirPlay without going through the
multitasking switcher?

I think Spotify has by far the best music selection out there. Also, that
high-quality option is very much appreciated.

~~~
dkasper
Yes, Spotify has a radio feature.

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trebor
I can't find it in the iPad app, so if it does have a radio feature it's not
very accessible one.

~~~
blazzar
It is only on the desktop version.

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danh
Now, if they only could sort out the iPhone app as well. It uses a lot more
CPU (and corresponding battery) than other audio players (probably due to its
Vorbis use), and skips as soon as the os is busy doing something else.

~~~
allbutlost
The new app is a universal binary which also includes iPhone updates, so it
might be worth downloading the update and seeing if it fixes any of your
issues.

~~~
danh
It doesn't seem to fix anything, unfortunately, as far as I can tell after a
quick test.

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ChrisLTD
I loved the little video they made for it. Especially the x2 joke at the
beginning.

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why-el
Has anybody tried their Linux preview? I am thoroughly impressed, so far its
the best app on my Ubuntu in terms of UX.

~~~
badboy
Does it work for free users yet? Last time I tried it didn't. I would like to
test their service before I pay them.

~~~
scpike
It worked for me on ubuntu as a free user, even though the site said it
wouldn't. I did experience issues with the ads getting stuck visible over the
interface, but the audio worked fine.

~~~
why-el
That's surprising because I moved away from the Wine version specifically
because the ads used to get stuck over the interface, even when Spotify was
not in focus. With the Linux preview I never faced those issues again.

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frou_dh
Like the iPhone version, you need to be a premium subscriber to steam
anything. Myself I have the cheaper plan that's only good for the desktop app.

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alexgaribay
I'm definitely liking the iPad version. It's way easier to navigate compared
to the iPhone version. I'm very pleased with the app overall.

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ctdonath
spotify.com's "Sign Up" button takes me (in USA) to the "Not Available [in
your country]" page. Any insights?

~~~
allbutlost
It's a known issue and is being worked on, last I heard.

~~~
ctdonath
Fixed. And you must consent to it using Facebook:

 _"You need a Facebook account to register for Spotify. If you have an
account, just log in below to register. If you don't have a Facebook account,
get one by clicking the 'create an account' link below."_

This includes letting it post messages as you. Guess I won't be using it.

~~~
blazzar
I was put off by this as well, but there is a setting to stop it posting the
updates to your timeline within the app.

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simonbarker87
Finally, spotify should transition marvellously to the bigger form factor -
AirPlay enabled would be great to

~~~
allbutlost
Airplay should indeed be available for you in the iPad app - see
<http://www.spotify.com/us/about/spotify-on-ipad/>

~~~
bni
It also enables the AirPlay button in the iPhone app. So now you dont have to
fiddle with the built in iOS controls. It also seems to work better now, the
music starts faster for example.

Now if they only enabled AirPlay in the Mac app...

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Tycho
Is this any use to users on the lower tier subscription? (ie. desktop only
streaming, not mobile)

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jaz
This is great news. The iPhone interface was woefully inadequate on the iPad.

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hej
Impressive work! It’s a really nice app, not just normal and boring, not a
visual mess, a joy to navigate. If only I could convince myself to pay.

