Spotify removes the invitation-only lock in France

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Mike Butcher is the European Editor for TechCrunch. A former grunge rock drummer, he became a long time journalist, and has since written for UK national newspapers and magazines including The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The New Statesman. Mike is also a co-founder and shareholder of TechHub, a co-working space/service/community with several locations... → Learn More

[France] Spotify is no longer invitiation-only in France. The streaming music startup now lets anyone register, but for some reason – probably to make sure you actually live in France – they’ll allow you to register only by verifying your phone number first.

The company says it’s now because they are sure they can “maintain the quality of service for many users.”

Despite scepticism from TechCrunch that Spotify is going to have a tough time launching in the US, it seems to be on its way to rolling out across Europe, at least.

The news is going to come as body-blow to its main French competitor, Deezer, which has been going through all sorts of problems lately.

They blogged (Google translation) today that :

Spotify now available for all in France

February 1, 2010, 15:26

Starting today, if you live in metropolitan France, you can freely subscribe to our free service, Spotify Free.

Why open now? After several months on invitation, we are sure we can maintain the quality of service for many users.

To register is easy – simply visit the page on Start and enter your mobile number. We will send you a code to enter on the same page and you can instantly create your Spotify account.

This will allow you to take a first step towards innovative musical experience that offers Spotify Premium: music on your mobile, even without Internet connection, anywhere in the world, with better sound quality and uninterrupted for 9,99 € per month. (I want to know more about Spotify Premium)

Your phone number will be used only to send the SMS containing the registration code. Spotify is making this free mailing.

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  • http://www.gorankem.com Adam Wexler

    “This will allow you to take a first step towards innovative musical experience that offers Spotify Premium:”
    i laughed when i read that segway. didn’t even include the word “also”…i feel like the labels dictated the note because of the 10-12% conversion they’re hoping to see Spotify achieve.

  • http://eothred.wordpress.com Yngve

    I love Spotify! The music industry are of course complaining that they aren’t earning enough income. For some insane reason they believe that spotify should give as much or more revenues than CD’s, per play, at launch. Comparing it to something more reasonable, like say radio, Spotify is actually doing very well! The music industry is just demanding too much, and then they have to thank themselves for the pirating going on because they don’t let Spotify loose in new territories.

    Similarly am I frustrated that we don’t have a service like netflix streaming and/or hulu here in Europe. Great services, good business solutions, stupid industry.

  • Mike

    @Adam Wexler: Which part of “Google Translation” did you not understand?

  • Lex

    farming for cell phone numbers?

    I suspect there’s more going on than “verifying your place of residence”

  • Michael

    “For some insane reason they believe that spotify should give as much or more revenues than CD’s, per play, at launch. Comparing it to something more reasonable, like say radio, Spotify is actually doing very well!”
    Sure…Lady Gaga receving a total of 113 Euros for “Poker Face” in 5months as no.1 song. Reasonable you say?

  • Mr. K

    If I was not so upset with the music industry, I would definitely get myself a Spotify premium account, my credit card is ready, and I would love to give some money to them.

    But the only idea that some of this money goes to the crazy pathetic desperate music industry dudes sickens me. I’ll think about it…

  • http://www.articleplayground.com Article Playground

    About time someone do something about it

  • http://eothred.wordpress.com Yngve

    @Michael http://torrentfreak.com/spotify-isnt-ripping-off-artists-the-labels-are-091123/
    Well I am sorry, but if you get your song played on the radio once, that could (depending on when, which country and so on) generate 1 million plays. How much do you earn for getting your song played once on the radio? And why do you still accept the radio to play your song? Because it acts as commercial as well… And the 113 euros for 5 months is not what Spotify pays (see link above).

  • Que

    Whats with the discrimination why just metropolitan France.

    Why not Mayotte, French Polynesia, Martinique, and Reunion, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, French Guiana & Guadeloupe

    I smell a lawsuit if the people of the overseas departments and territories find out about this.

  • http://hollywoodprophets.com Spence

    By the way, it’s “segue”, not segway.

  • wytas

    Could someone give me an invitation to try Spotify? Please, please, please, please, please….

    wytas@bamba.lt

  • http://www.toujours-connecte.com/2010/02/07/spotify-le-service-de-reference-pour-le-streaming-musique-sur-mobile-pour-combien-de-temps/ Spotify, le service de référence pour le streaming musique sur mobile pour combien de temps? « Toujours Connecté

    [...] sortant du seule registre de la propagation virale de son application. Spotify vient par ailleurs d’ouvrir son service à tous les utilisateurs français qui le souhaitent. Il fallait auparavant être invité par un ami pour accéder au service. Souhaitons bonne chance [...]

  • http://please please

    me please invitation zetadevil@hotmail.com

  • http://bub.blicio.us/sweden-is-the-playground-for-online-music-discovery/ Sweden Is The Playground For Online Music Discovery

    [...] than Spotify. While waiting for its big U.S. launch and trying to avoid being jeaulous of the French now signing up for free, there’s other cool stuff from Sweden to discover new music with. On the go. For [...]

  • Que

    Ugh, I’m desperate for an invite….please please! dark182star@yahoo.com

  • Emma

    some one give me an invite please
    emminemalyk@aol.co.uk
    =D

  • B.A

    an invitation is needed please……..extaticster@gmail.com

  • http://netzwertig.com/2010/04/27/neue-spotify-version-musikstreaming-wie-es-besser-nicht-sein-koennte/ Neue Spotify-Version: Musikstreaming, wie es besser nicht sein könnte » netzwertig.com

    [...] eine Einladung von einem bestehenden Spotify-Mitglied notwendig, um ein Gratis-Konto anzulegen. Nur in Frankreich kann man sich derzeit ohne Einladung registrieren, dort muss jedoch eine französischen [...]

  • thomas

    Please i need it.. difemma@gmail.com

  • Ponteva

    Hello

    I really need a spotify code, plz someone help me.
    Send me one to villis5@hotmail.com
    Thank you.

  • thank you~~~

    thank you~

  • Identidadsuplantada

    Globis speak Madrid Barça spainglobisespeak!!!!!!!***********

    tanganasbvbverlusconi.Agosto=August%pami/c’estfini./

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