Spotify removes listening cap from free desktop service

16 Jan 2014

Music-streaming giant Spotify has lifted the cap on streaming that applied to the free ad-supported desktop version of the service.

Users of the free desktop service could listen to as many songs as they liked for six months for free if they listened to ads, as well.

At the end of six months it capped your streaming.

But now Spotify has removed the cap and listeners can enjoy their music indefinitely, as long as they are willing to put up with the ads.

The move comes on the heels of a decision by Spotify in December to bring free ad-supported listening to all smartphones and tablet devices.

In November, Spotify raised US$250m in venture capital from Silicon Valley-based Crossover Technology Ventures, valuing it at US$4bn.

Spotify, which operates in 32 countries, has more than 24m active users, out of whom around 6m pay for the premium ad-free service.

Music fan image via Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com