Spotify
The popular Swedish music streaming service first established itself initially back in 2006 and has become quite a big hub in recent years. Since its first proper release back in 2008, Spotify has had a continuous growth in users; currently over 24 million people are using this service to stream their favourite music.
I myself have been a user of Spotify since late 2008 and am still using the service now vigorously.
Spotify currently includes three different packages:
First there is the “Free” service which allows for streaming of any song for up to 10 hours a month. However, streaming is interrupted by advertisements.
Next is their “Unlimited” service which allows for unlimited streaming of any song and is completely ad-free.
Finally, Spotify offers their “Premium” service which adds the ability to download tracks for offline play and also allows users to listen to their music anywhere and on any device.
| Spotify Service | Free | Unlimited (Paid) | Premium (Paid) |
| 1. | 10 Hours Of Streaming A Month | Unlimited Streaming | Unlimited Streaming |
| 2. | Ad Supported | Ad-Free | Ad-Free |
| 3. | Access To Mobile App |
As you can see from the table above there are a variety of different options that are available for use, each one offering pros and cons over the others. However, into the arena steps a new player.
Welcome to Thunderdome….
Google Music
This music service is Google’s alternative to Spotify and allows users to listen to a sample of any song (that is currently in Google’s music store) before either purchasing the song or the entire album.
Basically it’s another form of iTunes, but one that integrates with Android.
However, what Google Music has over Spotify is the flexibility of being able to share your music library seamlessly between devices. Thus making access to your music that much more efficient.
Does Google Music Rival Spotify?
After using Spotify for along time now, and after researching and using Google Music, my personal preference has to be Spotify; despite the efficiency of Google Music, there is simply not enough features and quite frankly Google doesn’t have enough experience yet to rival Spotify.
Network Science
How does network science come into play with all this?
Well firstly it was down to the fact that Spotify had come into existence at a time when there were no other major hubs of the same industry around. This meant Spotify had the advantage to establish itself and reach out, making connections with the entire world. If we think about it, everyone loves music and Spotify is able to provide a service in which we can listen to music for as long as we desire.
Something To Think About
Do you think that Spotify will ever have a rival?
Which music streaming service do you prefer? Let us know….