Spotify is a multiplatform application of Swedish origin created in the mid-first decade of 2000 by web designer and entrepreneur Daniel Ek. It began its history as an application for computers in 2008 and a year later presented the mobile and dynamic version for smartphones. After signing a contract with numerous record labels such as Sony BMG, Hollywood Records, Warner Music, and Universal Music, among others, Spotify launched into the conquest of the music world by expanding its business and including services such as access to specialized magazines and other related applications. With the musical field.
Consolidated as one of the most important applications in the music industry, Spotify has managed to connect with its users maintaining the freemium model (free and paid) and facilitating its use through alliances with important social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.)
DANIEL EK AND THE SPOTIFY BEGINNINGS
After starting his career as an entrepreneur at age fourteen, Daniel Ek, creator of Spotify began a new bet in the online marketing business with Advertigo (2005), a company that he successfully managed until its sale to the international giant Tradedoubler in 2006. It was at that time when the Spotify project began to take shape with the support of Martin Lorentzon, founder of Tradedoubler. Ek quickly convinced Lorentzon of the potential of his new project and this without hesitation gave his investment for the application to be created. While discussing the name of the new project, Lorentzon, and Ek, they stayed with Spotify, because their sound and meaning pleased them (spot: place – identify: identity).
Once the name was chosen, Ek and Lorentzon, registered the brand and began working on the project with the support of a group of designers and engineers, including uTorrent developer and creator, Ludvig Strigeus. After a few months of work the application was completed in 2006, however, its launch was postponed due to negotiations with the record companies and the licensing, so it took two years to launch the application.
Spotify was launched on October 7, 2008, as a streaming music playback application for computers, available at that time only in some European countries such as Finland, Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom, Spain, and France. Since then users could access an extensive music library without downloading anything. At that time the application had its well-known free account, however, it could only be accessed if invited, otherwise, a paid subscription would have to be made. By changing times and with the emergence of smartphones, Spotify understood the need to expand and reinvent itself, building its mobile application in 2009, in addition to the Premium and Unlimited modes.
GROWTH AND CONSOLIDATION
After gaining popularity in a few years and becoming one of the most used new applications, Spotify landed in the US market, signing a contract with important record labels, which understood the importance of being in the app and the potential it had to spread to Your artists In 2011, it was established in the United States and began to compete with recognized and important music applications such as iTunes, which it has currently surpassed in number of active users, Amazon Music, Pandora and the newly created Tidal (2014). Shortly after starting his adventure in the United States, Ek announced that the application would change and diversify by becoming a platform that could host various applications related to the world of music, because as he pointed out: Music goes beyond of the music.
Since then the application has become multiplatform in which third-party applications such as TuneWiki (letters), CrowdAlbum (photography) and Billboard (lists and charts) are included, among many others. Also, several extensions and options were created that personalize the use of the app, so that each user can enjoy and explore the world of music in the app in the way they like.
For this same period, the platform surprised users with the integration of specialized channels and magazines such as Rolling Stone, Moi, and others that jumped to the platform pleasing users with a variety of music lists for all tastes. Three years after becoming a platform, Spotify eliminated the limit of hours of listening for free users, including short advertisem*nts that cannot be skipped. That same year, the app opted for marketing, sales and user experience by partnering with Topspin and Starbucks, being the first music app that has space in places like cafes.
After consolidating itself as one of the most-used apps of recent times, Spotify created various alliances with social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, among others, allowing its users to access the app and share its content in various ways, thus improving the user experience.
Since 2016, the app has managed to connect with its users through various lists designed for all kinds of tastes, with which users can discover new artists, new songs, the most listened to songs and others that they had forgotten. Some of the most listened to lists are Discover Weekly, Billboard Hot 100, Hipster International, Digster HIP HOP HITS !, Billboard R & B / Hip-Hop Songs, Top Trap Latino, among others. However, it should be ruled out that the different extensions that the app currently has facilitated and personalize its use, improving the user experience. Some of the most important extensions are Forgotify, The Set Listener and Vidfish.
PRESENT
The success achieved with the renewal of the application led its creator to think about expanding further entering the stock market in 2018 with a market value of $ 26.5 billion. Since then, the app has not stopped growing and innovating, improving the user experience and consolidating itself as one of the most important apps of the moment. Facing tough opponents like Tidal, Pandora, and iTunes, in addition to the voices that announce their downfall. Currently, Spotify has more than 207 million users and it is available in 65 countries in Europe, America, Asia, and Oceania.
