Spotify could limit free content in Apple Music riposte
Spotify is reportedly lining up a new ‘Premium Tier’ to incentivise its tens of millions of free users to start paying for the service.
With just over a month until rival Apple Music’s free trial expires whereupon it will look to convince listeners it is worth a subscription fee, Spotify is looking to seize a sizeable share of the industry’s free listeners who are on the verge of making the step into the paid market.
Digital Music News quotes anonymous sources as saying paid subscribers will gain access to exclusive content in a “gated access” model.
To date, the app has rarely closed off content to free users. Most recently it made Muse single ‘The Globalist’ available only to paying subscribers in June earlier this year.
Suggested by the source was a song cap on high-profile albums – giving free users a taster as an incentive for upgrade.
Under pressure from top music labels and some high profile musicians such as Taylor Swift, Spotify will be rallying to boost its paid users (an estimated 20m).