Hoping to attract more users and keep them enthralled with its digital music service, Spotify has partnered with other Web and media companies such as Rolling Stone magazine, Songkick and TuneWiki to juice up its service with articles, reviews, recommendations, lyrics and other content.
Rolling Stone, for example, will integrate its year-end magazine issue with Spotify’s service so readers can instantly play most, if not all, of the songs featured in the articles. The integration will involve the magazine’s future issues as well.
“People used to take that issue with them to Amoeba Records to buy the albums,” Bill Crandall, head of digital content for Rolling Stone, said during Spotify’s packed news conference Wednesday in New York to announce its new partnerships. “Now we can instantly get that music to people through Spotify with a click.”
Spotify, which lets users stream music online and on mobile devices, is seeking more than just editorial content to accompany the 15 million songs it has available to listeners. In the coming weeks, it will begin rolling out a variety of music-related applications. One will allow users to purchase tickets for the band they’re listening to via Songkick.
“The average American goes to fewer than two concerts a year,” said Songkick CEO Ian Hogarth. “This will help us get people out to see more live music by letting us tap into the 10 million people who are actively listening to music on Spotify.”
