Why buy any music when for a small monthly fee you can have all the music you want? That’s the question Spotify is asking as it introduces an offline listening mode to its desktop app.
Spotify already offers unlimited streaming of its vast library of music but now you’ll be able to sync music onto your hard drive to listen to even when you don’t have an internet connection. This will be especially useful for those who listen to music on laptops while on the move.
While Spotify offers an ad-supported service for free, you’ll need to pay for a Premium account to access offline mode.
In conjunction with Spotify’s mobile app, which syncs with the desktop app and already offers the same offline mode, it’s starting to look like you might never need to buy music again.
While buying music will still appeal to some, Spotify’s comprehensive cloud-based approach is increasingly compelling. Apple will no doubt be monitoring the situation closely, especially as a US launch for Spotify is not far off. The long-rumoured iTunes subscription service must now surely be a near certainty.
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