14 DAY TRIAL // Spotify users in the US can listen to the radio for free on their iPhone and iPad thanks to an update to the application sold through Apple’s App Store. The binary is yet to go live, but Spotify has already made the update official.
The developers sent out a press release today announcing that the latest version of Spotify iOS includes a new radio feature that seamlessly integrates into the Spotify service with a catalog of more than 16 million songs.
Spotify users can create limitless streaming radio stations from single songs, playlists, albums or artists, as well as build a list of stations and even save tracks to Spotify playlists. Apparently any song that users “like” can be saved.
There’s more. Spotify now lets you personalize stations in real time by “liking” tracks to hear similar music, and you can browse friends’ playlists to create radio stations based on their taste in music.
And Spotify’s recommendation engine will serve up content based on what millions are listening to.
“Our focus has always been on creating an amazing user experience,” said Charlie Hellman, VP, Product at Spotify. “The radio feature we’ve added to our iPhone and iPad apps gives users the ability to discover, listen and save what they like on the go – all within one app – for free.”
While premium users will have an ad-free experience, free users will hear advertisements from Spotify’s launch partners, including Chevrolet, Durex, Heineken, Red Stag by Jim Beam, Lipton Iced Tea, Macy’s, McDonalds, Progressive, Red Bull, Taco Bell, Verizon Wireless, and Warner Bros. All these companies are current Spotify advertisers, the company said.
Spotify requires iOS 5.0 and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. The universal app requires a single download for it to be installed on both iPhone and iPad.