Spotify and the paradigm shift

Unless you’ve been camped out underneath a prehistoric rock dialing up AOL with your Gateway 2000, you’re likely to have heard whispers of the revolution.

I’m writing to tell you that the streets aren’t lying.

Spotify buzz and chatter in the office has been abundant. And rightly so. The revolution is here, or so close that we are teetering on the edge of the end of the beginning.

Let me explain…

In its simplest terms, Spotify is music without the acquisition. Part of the paradigm that is, essentially, computing without the cargo.

Today a dead hard drive can be the end of your world. A simple hardware malfunction can destory a lifetime of careful collection and make a grown man weep.

Tomorrow, we scoff at such triviality and laugh at our archaic practices. Imagine a world where our cherished content is - at all times, from all places - just fingertips away.

Flowing seamlessly from Kevin Kelly’s insights (YouTube, below), the familiar way in which we access our data is becoming imminently redundant. There has been talk of a rounding a corner for quite some time, and finally now we are tentatively peering beyond our street, awe-struck by the lucious landscape ahead.

Standing tall in this paradigm shift, brandishing a glowing neon sign is Spotify.

Spotify is comparable to your entire iTunes (or alternative) library - plus all the other music you ever wanted, all that which you didn’t, and all the rest you never heard of - encapsulated inside a wonderfully familiar, intuitive, responsive and uncomplicated interface. All you require is an internet connection, and god knows we all have one of those. It is a joy to use. There is little or no lag, and it caches your recently played content to the tune of a user-defined variable.

It is not without fault, the Beatle-barmy among you may stand aghast at their exclusion. Oasis, too, do not feature in the UK, since Noel Gallagher stated in typical rockstar fashion; “Why would I want my music online, I don’t even have a computer!.” Nevertheless, even the most musically cultured will find delight in the Spotify library. Currently this consists of a mammoth 2.6 million tracks, including all those of the four major labels, and they strive to continue its expansion. Yesterday alone they loaded no less than 16,000 albums.

Of course, there is a slight catch. Inevitably we are exposed to advertising to fund and reward their efforts. Arguably, their execution is bearably subtle. You can choose between a reasonable £9.99 per month for unlimited, uninterrupted access, or endure a 20-30 second ad break every 5-10 tracks.

But this is to be expected, and minor usability gripes aside, Spotify is an infant, yet to perfect its ultimate balance. Already they have added Last.fm scrobbling functionality, listening intently to their pleading users, a practice they promise to continue.

A little over a week ago I was fortunate enough to attend a talk from Spotify’s Sales Director, whose name is remarkably similar to that of the iconoclastic soul songstress, Joni Mitchell. Now, while I was already very much up on the why’s, what’s and wherefores of Spotify, this talk set fire to my brain.

It was stressed jovially mid-presentation that the information within was not to be ‘blogged’. Unfortunately, Joni, the best way to ensure co-operation on part of the unknown would be not to divulge at all. So, onwards…

Naturally, the purpose of the talk was really to educate us of the advertising opportunities withinSpotify, branding possibilities, business implications and implications, and a general introduction to the existence of the service. Unlike radio, Spotify has an entirely measurable, geo-targettable audience. An advertisers dream. Being fully digital, information of Spotify’s usage can be manipulated to suit all parties; users, advertisers, and musicians.

So, their business model is seemingly as titanium as it can be for a business of this nature. This is not a half-hearted attempt, such as the inevitably fruitless exploits of Datz.com, an ex-client at an ex-company. Flop.

I could wax on perenially. Soon, I will share some insight revealed on the future, but right now the finger of the short hand is wagging furiously.

In summary, Spotify is here to stay. A genuine challenger for the musical mantle, with extremely high calibre personnel, solid financial backing, an exponential uptake, and most importantly, extreme user satisfaction. Their evolution has already been crafted meticulously, and with some fantastic features and functions in the pipeline, their future is bright enough to summon shades.

iTunes take note, complacency is a murderer.

C.