Spotify to offer free music streaming to smartphones and tablets in the UK?

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Increasing competition from rivals Napster, Rdio and Deezer forces Spotify to look at launching its free 'on-the-go' streaming service in the UK

Spotify is planning to expand its free music streaming service to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, reports MediaGuardian.

Currently only Premium subscribers who pay a monthly fee of £9.99 can stream music to their portable devices. Now apparently Spotify is entering negoiations with the major record labels to secure new licensing agreements to enable the move.

According to The Verge, Spotify has already begun discussions in the UK with Warner Music, and is shortly expected to enter talks with Sony and Universal as well.

Last year Spotify launched a free radio player app in the US for iPhone and iPad users offering streaming of unlimited songs and stations, but with advertising – in the same way that it runs ads on the free streaming service for computer users.

This latest move is seen as an attempt to stave off competition from rivals such as Napster, Rdio and Deezer.

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Andy Clough
Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.