Spotify on iPhone – Some Facts (Updated)

Posted by in Apple, Spotify · 10 Comments

Here are some facts about the newly approved Spotify app for iPhone:

  • It’s a free download, but you need to be a Premium Spotify subscriber to use it
  • Can stream continuous music with near-zero latency over 3G and Wi-Fi (depending on signal strength)
  • Offline mode allows for 3,333 tracks to be time-shifted (i.e. stored on your phone for playing when you have no signal). [source]

  • Has pretty much all the desktop features except for the Radio, Play Queue, and Home
  • Unlike the desktop version, Spotify for mobile does not use P2P. Instead, it uses “some other methods to make it super quick” (according to Andres @ Spotify)
  • Can create new playlists on the phone which get synced with the desktop automatically
  • Also works on the iPod Touch
  • The Buy From partner is Apple, not 7digital (source)
  • Streams at ~ 160kb/s, not the standard premium quality of 320 kb/s
  • Does not currently scrobble to Last.fm (unlike the desktop version)
  • Does not run in the background (unlike the Android version). Only Apple’s own apps are allowed to run simultaneously on their devices
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  • Phil

    You had me wondering with that last one there, until I saw the small print!

    I think it's pretty cool that it will work on the iPod touch too.

    Can't wait for it to (hopefully) be approved though, it's the only thing holding me back from getting premium.

  • Studley

    I bought premium a few months back in anticipation of this, here's hoping it works out!

    Great that this works on the Touch. One of the drawbacks of the Last.fm app is that I'm tethered to the range of my wi-fi; I can't listen to my custom playlists when I'm jogging or on-the-move. Not the case with Spotify – this is a true killer app.

  • Alan

    Not running in the background is a shame…though jailbreaking can solve this.

  • Anonymous

    I'll bet $50 that Apple will not approve this. Why on earth would they? They make money by selling songs, and this would make it way too convenient to listen to music without paying apple.

  • Dave, The Spotify Blog

    Nice cat!

    I'm unsure about whether Apple will approve it. It could be a complete PR disaster. And even illegal, given anti-competition laws. But guess we'll have to wait and see.

  • afront

    From Antony (while blog was moving host):

    Sadly I think Apple will decline it, although not because of the reasons mentioned. They’ve Last.fm, Pandora and a gazillion radio-streaming apps, so it’s not so much the music but the streaming over 3G that’s the problem. All of the bandwith intense apps like Skype only got approved after changing to WiFi-only. So if the submitted Spotify client indeed does allow to download over 3G/Edge it doesn’t look too good.

    Maybe we’ll have a little luck for once – since it’s not available in the U.S. there’s no AT&T messing things up.

    For me a decent Spotify-remote app (like the Apple Remote app for iTunes) would be much more important, I stream to 3 rooms via Airtunes and want to finally see the cover and search the library from my bedroom! The available apps like Rowmote are way too basic.

    P.S.: Concrats on going premium! :D

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  • http://www.areyouspotified.com/category/clubified/ Elias

    Great news, but I think I’ll go Android instead. The andorid app seems better in many ways, and the phones too!

  • Jason

    Kieron’s a douchebag. Just thought I’d put that out there.

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