Spotify Considers Allowing Some Artists to Withhold Music From Free Service

Spotify has risen to be one of the top music streaming providers. They offer the same music to the free users and the paying subscribers. The difference is that the paying subscribers get unlimited on demand access to any song they want, where the free users can choose the album or playlist but can only listen to it on shuffle. They both have access to the same music - for now. 

Spotify is considering to only allow the paying users to have access to selected new music for a certain amount of time before the free users get access to it. This decision is coming after Taylor Swift pulled all of her music off of Spotify because they would not allow her to do this for her new album "1989" last year. Spotify was very strict with their policy that free users have access to all the same music as the paying subscribers, which is why they turned down Swift's request. Since then, however, they are reconsidering their stance. Spotify has not yet made a final decision, but they are only interested in withholding music that will also be withheld from other free streaming sites. They will begin with first testing this new policy to see how it goes for them and the artists before making a permanent change. 

Often companies must change their products or policies to satisfy the consumer demands, but in this case Spotify is needing to change their policies in order to satisfy the providers who allow their product to work: the artists. If the artists are not satisfied and continue to pull their music, then the subscribers and users of Spotify will also become dissatisfied and stop using the product resulting in the downfall of Spotify. This company must keep in mind the needs of the consumers but also the needs of the music providers because without them, the product would fail. 

This article was interesting to me because I am a huge music fan so anything in the music world I like knowing about. Spotify is the main music service that I use. I don't pay for the subscription, but I mooch off of  my boyfriends account which he pays for (score for me) so I would actually be happy if they allow the paying subscribers to have access to the new music first. It makes it more worth our while for paying for the service! 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/spotify-to-allow-some-musicians-to-withhold-music-from-free-service-1449603477