Meet Spotify, Steve Jobs' worst nightmare

A music app called Spotify has changed my life. It'll change yours, too. This Swedish innovation -- currently only available in parts of Western Europe -- is a virtual jukebox that allows users to listen to almost any song in the world without paying a dime. Legally, too.

I recently wrote a story about Spotify, which you can read in its entirety here.

Thought I'd post the entire email interview I did with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, below, which delves into a few realms I wasn't able to cover in the 1,000 word story.


* I’d love to hear about your experience using your own product. What are you currently listening to, and have you discovered any new artists/albums as a result of browsing or through a shared play list?

Hi Stephen. Where do I start? I’ve been listening to so much music recently and have a lot of fun sharing playlists with friends. Recently I’ve been listening to the likes of Passion Pit, Fleet Foxes, the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Lemon Jelly and Sigur Ros, and I’ve just discovered two gorgeous albums, one by a Scottish band called Aberfeldy and a Swedish outfit called Loney, Dear. And I can never hear too much Daft Punk.

I love the way users are so creative with their playlists. You can find anything from all the UK’s Number One’s since 1957 to movie-inspired playlists, and people have even set up websites specifically listing playlists, such as http://www.sharemyplaylists.com/ .

As a specific example, I love the way you can be watching a movie and hear a really powerful song that sticks in the mind. With a quick bit of searching you can find that tune and play it instantly. For instance I watched “Waltz With Bashir” the other day and was instantly struck by this song “Max Richter – The Haunted Ocean 1.”

Plus little features like this can be a lot of fun when sending to friends http://www.spotify.com/blog/archives/2009/06/12/hints-tips-–-link-to-a-specific-track-time/

* When you first approached the major record labels with your idea, what was their initial reaction, and what sold them on the idea?

It was quite a long process. We launched Spotify in 2006 and it took two years traveling round the world meeting everyone from the janitor to CEO! We convinced them by explaining that you beat piracy by having a better product - and not by shutting them down. In the end it's about giving the consumer what they want and the way forward is to monetize through advertising, subscriptions and merchandising.

* What’s in it for the record companies? While Spotify offers the potential to reduce, if not eliminate, music piracy, the record-label business model is largely based around sales of a physical CD or a digital file. But Spotify could render such purchases largely unnecessary. While music labels stand to make money through licensing of their content and revenue share, don’t they stand to lose more money through further cannibalization of sales of MP3s and CDs?

We set up Spotify with the fundamental aim of providing a sustainable revenue stream for artists and the industry as a whole. If the music industry continues to haemorrhage money through piracy as it has in the past decade, there may not be an industry left in ten years' time. Right now 95 percent of all downloads are illegal, and we're looking to take this 95 percent of music fans and bring them into a user-friendly, legal environment where they can get exactly what they want while also contribute money back to the artists by either listening to ads, subscribing to the service, purchasing downloads or in the near future buying gig tickets and merchandising on Spotify.

Also from what our users have been telling us, they've discovered a lot of new artists through Spotify, whether by being sent new playlists by friends or simply by dipping into the service. Maybe they heard a cool song on House MD, checked out the artist on Spotify and then bought the album, or sought them out in an upcoming concert. Many tell us they still enjoy buying CDs or downloads - and in some cases buy even more than before as they're listening to lots of new stuff.

* You’re using Ogg Vorbis files -- how does the sound quality compare to MP3s?

They’re basically equal to a higher quality MP3 – and you’d need an expensive system to hear the difference between them and CD. We’re also working on ways to offer even better quality sound than MP3 in the near future. Watch this space!

* I’m really impressed that there’s no buffering wait time to listen to a track -- from an innovation standpoint, can you explain how you use peer-to-peer technology and each users’ local bandwidth to create effortless streaming?

Thanks, Stephen. We built Spotify to be quick and easy-to-use – and we felt that to achieve the best service Spotify should be run as an application, as opposed to a web-based service, which can be restrictive performance-wise.

Essentially Spotify is a hybrid model, streaming music centrally as well as incorporating peer-to-peer technology, which allows the music to be played instantly.

* What do you see as the major difference -- and competitive advantage -- of Spotify over Last FM, Pandora, Napster, or Rhapsody as a way to listen to, and discover, music?

We honestly don't feel there's a direct competitor to Spotify as no one’s doing exactly what we're doing at the moment. We're just focusing on developing the best product we possibly can. Our biggest competitor is illegal music downloading – so piracy is arguably our most serious challenger.

* Do you envision a future in which an artist/band can use your
platform as a way to communicate directly with fans -- much in the way they currently use MySpace to post blogs and updates and photos? And will Spotify expand to incorporate other social networking capabilities in future?

On both fronts, yes. We definitely envisage incorporating social networking capabilities, as well as looking at ways of expanding the client to allow artists to talk more directly with their fans. It’s also worth noting that we've just struck a deal with Ditto Music which allows unsigned acts to get their music onto the service and receive revenues.

* What sort of bonus features can Spotify subscribers expect in future?

Well I guess by now you’ve heard about our upcoming mobile launch. You can see the Google Android demo here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ALGPknOsiU

We’re looking to launch across all mobile platforms in time, including the iPhone. Above that, we’ll be looking to launch more functions across the board, especially for our Premium subscribers. This may include, amongst other things, deeper download integration, more social features and some deeper discovery technology.

* Will recorded music become an essentially free commodity in the future?

I believe the majority of consumption will be on a music access, all-you-can-eat basis, which is what we offer, as opposed to outright ownership. That’s not the same as being free – if you look at Spotify’s Free service available here in Europe, users are in effect still paying with their time by listening to the commercials. There needs to be some kind of revenue stream established as although touring, merchandising etc will play an increasingly important part, you stilll need to monetize the music in other ways.

In terms of access to music over ownership, some people will continue to want to own their favourite music. Many continue to love the unique look, feel and sound of vinyl. On the download side, we think the format could be developed further, for instance by adding a visual element.

* Spotify was dubbed an “iTunes killer” by the New York Times. Certainly, once mobile devices -- including the iPhone -- are able to carry around Spotify's unlimited jukebox, it would seem to obviate the need for an iPod and iTunes. What’s your take on that?

We honestly couldn’t' say and don't benchmark ourselves against iTunes.

* Finally, how come Spotify isn’t available in the US?

We’re coming.

Radiohead's latest 'Twist'

Radiohead knows a thing or two about ditching accepted formulas. After all, this is a band that once wrote a song called "2+2=5." Today, the British band released a new song, believed to be titled "These Are My Twisted Words" (above) onto a P2P site. It may herald a bold move to eschew the album format altogether in favor of periodic single releases.

While there's been no official confirmation that the track is, indeed, Radiohead, the song bears the group's counterfeit-proof hallmarks: Phil Selway's precision jitters on the drum kit, Ed O'Brien's downspiraling guitar figures, alternate-dimension guitar by Jonny Greenwood, low-rumble basslines by Colin Greenwood, and Thom Yorke's furrow-browed falsetto.

I assume that the band leaked the track intentionally -- much as Marillion released their last album to piracy sites first -- in a canny bid to create a flurry of publicity. The release date tag on the MP3 seems to indicate that the song was due for an official release date of Aug. 17 and the metadata includes a cryptic ersatz poem:

"i just wanted to reassure readers
that following representations
seeking confirmation
that before your very eyes
behind the wall of ice
that the box is not under threat
however they are set to remove other boxes
in fact i have the list in front of me
i went to a briefing on their plans
and challenged them
to tell me exactly what the cost would be
they spoke in broad terms"

(Some have interpreted this as an anti-music label message.)

Just last week, Thom Yorke told The Believer, “None of us want to go into that creative hoo-ha of a long-play record again. Not straight off. I mean, it's just become a real drag. It worked with In Rainbows because we had a real fixed idea about where we were going. But we've all said that we can't possibly dive into that again. It'll kill us.”

But at Neil Finn's concert in London on Monday, featuring an all-star band that included Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway, Finn told the audience that Radiohead had been rehearsing songs from its new album just days before his gig. (I'm interviewing Neil here in LA on Monday for FILTER magazine, so I'll see if I can find out any more details.)

Bottom line: It's likely that Radiohead will release the "Wall of Ice" EP on Monday and will showcase the new material at its UK festival appearances this month.

Does this mean that Radiohead will only release one-off singles and EPs -- possibly just as downloads -- rather than full-length albums? It would be a bold step, indeed, if they eschew the album format, something Thom has talked about for quite a few years.

I commend the idea of abandoning the tyranny of the album format in favor of just releasing singles. Unfortunately, few artists nowadays are able to create entire filler-free albums that work as a cohesive listening experience. Ironically, though, Radiohead are one band boasts an instinctive grasp of how to create great LPs.

If Radiohead only releases individual songs from here on -- to wit, last week's release of "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)" -- it will be a return to the music model of the '40s, '50s, and early '60s when singles were the primary format. Only later, when record companies released hit singles onto 78 inch vinyl, did bands start to think about creating albums as entities in their own right.

I could envision a scenario in which Radiohead releases new songs/EPs online in a FLAC format and, later, compiles them onto a physical CD/vinyl for a traditional retail release. Again, a return to that early record-business model. I'll miss Radiohead's albums. But if this means more regular Radiohead releases each year, I'll be quite happy.

UPDATE: So, all that fuss for nothing. Well, not quite nothing. The band's Monday release of "These Twisted Words" as a free download (ta, lads!) is the second Radiohead song to be released in two weeks, so I can't complain.

Questions remain: Who leaked the track in the first place? Was it York? The Guardian did some good shoe-leather work to try crack the case.

In the meantime, Neil Finn tells me that they're in the "early stages" of making a new album.

Filter magazine reviews: Fall

The day the music critic died

I'm registering myself for protection under the Endangered Species Act. That's my response to reading this insightful article in Slate about the demise of the music critic. It seems that my days are numbered.

The Slate essay, by Joseph Weiner, expands upon a similar piece I wrote a year ago by adding greater context about the struggles of publications such as Rolling Stone, Paste, Spin, Vibe, and Blender. After reading Weiner's story, half of me wonders why I'm spending part of this week reviewing albums by Sunny Day Real Estate, Porcupine Tree, and Florence + The Machine for the next issue of FILTER magazine. (The current issue -- see left -- includes reviews of new albums by Imogen Heap and Son Volt by yours truly.)

Truth is that I review albums because I love the challenge. It's difficult. One has to describe something that is essentially ethereal -- and, if possible, doing so without using insider-y jargon (you won't hear me describing a band as "Nu-Balearic"), cliches (phrases such as "sun-dappled guitars" should be summarily banned by all music editors), and lazy comparisons ("it sounds like Radiohead meets Sigue Sigue Sputnik with Sun Ra on vocals"). So, what I love about writing reviews is the challenge of getting creative with the writing. But, of course, it takes time and effort and, most of all, a passion for music.

The best music writing makes me want to run out to a record store immediately. I highly recommend Alexis Petridis of The Guardian, who has an incredible wit and a pair of honest ears that are seemingly immune to hype or trendiness (too many reviewers, alas, don't have the courage of conviction). UNCUT and WORD magazine excel at reliable recommendations and thoughtful critiques.

Enjoy them while you still can....

Filter magazine reviews: Summer issue

Elbow triumphs in LA

There wasn't much Elbow room at the Wiltern Theater last night. Taking a night off from their regular slot as Coldplay's opening act, Elbow filled the cavernous Art Deco venue for their own headlining show. One of the greatest bands to emerge this decade, Elbow toiled away in rock's minor leagues until they unexpectedly became the UK's biggest band. Credit a carpe diem set at the televised Glastonbury festival followed by the prestigious Mercury Prize for best album of 2008. It's an unlikely feat for these five middle-aged Mancunians, a few of them portly in stature, who I once interviewed as "the best band you've never heard."

They're hardly well-known here in the US but, like their good friends Doves, who played a sterling show here in May, they're slowly getting better known stateside. The band's singer, Giy Garvey, has one of the most emotionally honest and beautiful voices in rock. As I noted during my review of the band's debut, "Asleep in the Back," Elbow's arrangements explore the space between notes and their understanding of light-and-shade dynamics add up to an intimate grandeur.
The evening started with Elbow's Guy Garvey coming on stage to introduce opener Jesca Hoop, who released my favorite album of 2007. Since Hoop's only accompaniment was acoustic guitar and a girl friend on backing vocals, Garvey appealed to the audience to give her due attention. Jesca was stunning. Just one old song -- "Seeds of Wonder" -- and then a set of avant-garde pop from her imminent record, "Hunting My Dress." One of those songs "Murder of Birds," which appears on Hoop's recent acoustic EP, features Garvey and he came came on stage to duet with her. (Hear it here.)
Good thing Jesca had a backing vocalist -- well, more of a co-vocalist, really. On record, her songs are all about vocal harmonies and counterpoints and the other girl did a great job of helping create a rich vocal tapestry. I went to see Jesca perform at a small venue -- the Hotel Cafe -- tonight, during which she did an expanded set (including some songs off her debut, "Kismet"). Now I have two of her new songs looping repeatedly in my head, which bodes well for her new record.This was my third time seeing Elbow since 2002 and their set list featured many of my favorite songs, including "The Bones of You," and "Loneliness of the Crane Driver," and "Mirrorball" (Garvey said that song is about the morning after falling in love). Alas, they didn't play "Fugitive Motel" and "Great Expectations," which the band played this morning during a performance on KCRW radio -- watch or listen to their performance here. (Incidentally, Garvey hosts a brilliant 2-hour show -- Guy Garvey's Finest Hour -- on BBC Radio 6 every Sunday night. It's a weekly listen for me, since my music tastes are pretty synchronous with his.) Guy Garvey was in great voice throughout the night and a warm and talkative presence on stage. During one song, he walked down the entire length of the stage shaking hands with each member of the front row. For "One Day Like This," he brought two random audience members on stage to sing along.

Elbow has two girl violinists, who also do backing vocals, on this tour and they certainly add lovely textures to the material. Biggest surprise was the reworked version of "Weather to Fly." They broke the song in two. For the first part, the whole hand huddled around the keyboard and did a stripped down version with just percussion and Guy's vocals. Gorgeous. Then they did the electric version.
"Grounds for Divorce" was a highlight of the evening with the crowd enthusiastically singing the "whoa-oh-oh-oh" parts. It sounded immense! There was also a stellar selection of a few older songs, including personal favorites such as "Station Approach" and "Newborn." The liquid lead guitar lines in "Newborn" were indescribably beautiful and the rock-out coda had me punching the air. They also played "The Stops," "Leaders of the Free World," "Switching Off" (which Guy said is about one's final thought before death, about a loved one), and "Mexican Standoff." Most songs were even better live and Pete Turner's heavy bass riffing worked a treat on tracks like "Leaders of the Free World." Final song of the night was a very soulful "Scattered Black and Whites."My wife loved the show as Elbow is a favorite band of hers. And, corny as it sounds, we made out during the "we kissed like we invented it" line in "Mirrorball."

The wreath of Khan

Today, Bat for Lashes (aka Natasha Khan) was nominated on the short list for Britain's prestigious Mercury Music Prize for her rightfully acclaimed "Two Suns" album. (Khan's debut, "Fur and Gold" was a 2007 nominee.) So far, pundits are talking her up as the front runner in a field that includes Kasabian, The Horrors, La Roux, and Florence and the Machine (the nominee to seek out is The Invisible, a band that has frequently been compared to TV On the Radio, but their eponymous debut should transcend comparisons to "The Return to Cookie Mountain" and "Dear Science"). Bat for Lashes is prediction to win the prize.

Here's my review of her recent gig in Los Angeles, which ran in Pop Matters. And, if you've not heard her exquisite voice, check out her performance on Letterman below.



Here's the music video for the first single off the previous Bat for Lashes album -- one of the cleverest videos I've ever seen (watch and see what happens in this one-take video):

Meet Otis Taylor, banjo bluesman

I apologize for light posting of late during these hazy days of summer. But I have been busy behind the scenes writing various features. In today's Pop Matters, I have the lead story: an interview with bluesman Otis Taylor.

He's not your typical blues musician. Refreshingly, Taylor shies away from 12-bar shuffles about men sitting on the bayou, crying about cheatin' women who done them wrong. For starters, Taylor's favorite instrument is the banjo. And he's more likely to write a song about a migrant ranch hand forced to return to Mexico, or a short-lived love affair between an 8-year-old black boy and a white girl from school.

The latter song, titled "I'm Not Mysterious," appears on Taylor's new album, "Pentatonic Wars and Love Song." He told me it's based on his own formative experience.

"When I was a little kid, a little girl told me she was going to send me a love note. I was 3rd or 4th grade. She was a white girl. I followed her home to see where she lived. ‘Whoah, let me find out about this, buddy. It’s pretty exciting, you know?' Then, when I met her at the door two days later, she took me home. I never saw her again. That was the early '50s, so that wasn’t going to happen."

That sort of true-story lyric, married with a wide range of musical influences, makes Taylor unique in a genre where conventions have become cliches. Take a listen below...

Reporting from the Michael Jackson funeral

My alma mater, The Christian Science Monitor, asked me to help out with its coverage of the Michael Jackson memorial service. I haven't written on deadline for a while, but I managed to hunker down in a nearby Starbucks and sweat out a story about the mood of the event and a followup piece about whether Jackson is the last true superstar.

There were extraordinary scenes at the Staples Center yesterday, from the airplane that spelled "MJ" with its vapor trail to the flood of opportunists selling everything from T-shirts to bootleg CDs to posters to copies of the June 26 LA Times ($5 each).

Outside, crowds gathered long into the evening to take photographs and video of the long memorial wall that thousands of attendees have signed with their personal eulogies. The jumbotrons on the outside of the arena displayed photos of a pop star who underwent more facial transformations than Dr. Who -- from the moppet in the cow boy suit who wowed Ed Sullivan to the star's final incarnation as glitter-suited Geisha. In the photo montage, Jackson resembled the ultimate pop culture Zelig, appearing next to the likes of president Reagan, Sinatra, Pavarotti, Sammy Davis Jr., James Brown, Marcel Marceau, Nelson Mandela, Stevie Wonder, and Britney Spears. It underscored just how much of an icon he was.

The service itself was often remarkably moving and, regardless of what you may have felt about Michael Jackson, it was hard not to feel a sudden instinctive rush in the tearducts when Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris, sobbed, "I love you, Daddy." Many of the personal anecdotes shared by his friends and family gave one a glimpse into Michael, the person. It was a rare peak behind the face mask and sun glasses that became his public facade.