Microsoft’s Windows Phone app Marketplace has grown considerably since its launch in 2010, but there are still incredibly popular iOS and Android apps that haven’t yet made an appearance in the Windows Phone store. This week, one of those holes was filled after Spotify marked its arrival on Windows Phone 8 devices.
While Spotify was available for Windows Phone 7 and was one of the apps that Microsoft specifically targeted for release on its platform, it hadn’t been available on the newer Windows Phone 8 before now.
That’s down to Microsoft’s decision to allow the app to originally be written for Windows Phone 7 as a non-native app, bypassing store guidelines in order to ensure that the Spotify app was available as soon as possible. This time around, Microsoft wanted to ensure a native app was available so the new version has been rewritten from scratch.
The new version should perform much better, showing off similar features to the existing Android and iOS versions but in that signature Windows Phone style. You’ll be able to stream music, including accessing specific playlists, queuing up songs, and downloading them for offline use. as well as access the service’s social networking features to view the profiles of other users.
Like other music apps on the service, you’ll be able to control the music playback from other apps using the volume keys, which prompts a pop-up to appear at the top of the phone’s display.
All in all, it’s a solid effort from Spotify and definitely will be of interest to music fans who’ve got a HTC phone with Beats Audio, such as the Windows Phone 8X, or those who own a good quality Bluetooth speaker.
Of course, it’s worth mentioning that to use the Spotify Windows Phone app, you’ll need a subscription to Spotify Premium – as is the case with its Android and iOS apps as well.
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