Jay Z’s deal for Spotify rivals Wimp and Tidal just got rejected by Aspiro shareholders March 4, 2015 Shareholder backing just became one of Jay Z’s 99 problems. The million-dollar music mogul’s bid for Spotify rivals Wimp and Tidal has been scuppered by shareholders who rejected the deal. The minority shareholders who hold a 10 per cent stake in Aspiro, the parent company of the Swedish music-streaming services, have failed to back the [...]
Jay Z bids £40m for Swedish music streaming Spotify rival Tidal January 30, 2015 Spotify could be about to become another issue to add to Jay-Z's list of 99 Problems: the US music mogul has bid half a billion krone, about £40m, for Aspiro, the parent company of Swedish streaming platform Tidal. The platform, which launched in the UK in October, focuses on high quality "lossless" music. At the [...]
Spotify hires Goldman Sachs in hopes of raising $500m January 29, 2015 Spotify is hoping to raise more cash and has hired the world's most famous investment bank Goldman Sachs to do it. The music streaming company has probably delayed its long-awaited public listing by pursuing this round of financing. Spotify has said it wants to raise $500m. The financing would value Spotify near $6bn people familiar [...]
Taylor Swift right to shake off Spotify: Why music streaming services are bad economics January 8, 2015 Did Taylor Swift make the right call when she withdrew her music from Spotify? A new report on the profitability of the music streaming industry suggests she was. Strategy Analytics, a technology advisory and consultancy firm, argues that despite the music streaming industry’s rapid growth, it will continue to struggle to provide adequate royalty [...]
Spotify backer sets up new fund December 15, 2014 NORDICS-focused venture capital firm Northzone today closed its latest Fund VII reaching a hard cap of €250m (£199m), as it looked to new opportunities in Europe and the US. Oversubscribed, the fund represents one of the largest early-stage venture funds raised globally in 2014. In recent years, Northzone has set up offices in London and [...]
Dear Uber drivers: As its Spotify tie-up launches, you’re going to hear way more Kate Bush, One Direction – and Kirsty MacColl November 21, 2014 The tie-up between Spotify and Uber launches today, meaning anyone who gets in an Uber cab can listen to their own tunes. The system works using a feature inside Uber's app which connects to the driver's phone. As long as it is plugged into the sound system, it allows passengers to determine what plays over [...]
Apple to take on Spotify by integrating Beats streaming service into every iPhone and iPad November 19, 2014 Apple will start integrating the Beats music subscription service into every iOS device early next year, as the battle for music streaming supremacy intensifies. The paid-for Beats service will be introduced to iPads and iPhones in an iOS update that could take place as early as next March, according to the Financial Times. [...]
Uber’s in-car Spotify tie-up launches in London on Friday November 17, 2014 In a move which will surely prompt a rash of one-star ratings from irate Uber drivers tired of being subjected to death metal, the private hire cab app has announced it's teamed up with Spotify to allow passengers to stream their playlists through their cabs' soundsystems. In a joint press conference today, founders of the [...]
The rise of Spotify (minus Taylor Swift): From Radiohead’s “dying corpse” dig to 200m weekly streams November 12, 2014 The irrepressible rise of Spotify, the streaming service that Taylor Swift left last week OCT 2008 Spotify goes live Spotify is founded in 2006 by CEO Daniel Ek, but it isn’t until two years later that it’s launched for public access. The same year, the Swedish company announces that it has negotiated licensing [...]
Taylor Swift’s withdrawal signals trouble for Spotify – Brand Index November 11, 2014 To the dismay of fans the world over, in the last week Taylor Swift decided to remove all her songs and albums from the music streaming service Spotify. But what does this say about the future of the service, the way we engage with music, and the industry itself? The numbers leave us in no [...]