Spotify, the market-leading streaming music service, today announced that it is now available on Roku players, adding another platform to its stable. This announcement was expected.
Roku, a device that provides streaming video capabilities to consumers in their living room, will benefit from Spotify’s inclusion, as the music service is far larger than itself; inclusion of Spotify will only make Roku more enticing as a value proposition.
According to Spotify’s announcement, it appears that only paying customers will be able to use the service on Roku players, leaving free users in the lurch. This is not a surprise: Spotify is head-down to grow its subscriber ranks – now totalling some 5 million accounts – and by making Roku support premium only, it has situated itself into a position by which Roku fans can either pony up a few dollars, or live on with their device being but a part of what it could be.
Spotify is coming to Roku 2 players via its own channel, joining “600 video, entertainment and casual game” channels that already exist. Folks who have the ‘Roku Streaming Stick’ will also be able to access Spotify right away, provided they are its customer.
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However, if you own a Roku HD or LT device, and live in the United States or the United Kingdom, be patient, you will be supported “soon.”
Spotify supports a great number of platforms, but notably not the Xbox 360, a device on which Microsoft now vends its own streaming music service: Xbox Music. However, Microsoft also sells video content, and yet allows Netflix to exist on its system. With the addition of Roku, the places where Spotify isn’t is becoming thin.
Top Image Credit: Bruno Cordioli
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