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Spotify has announced that it will be offering a few new features to its iOS App-using customers in the coming days, including the use of the streaming radio service.
The Swedish company will be updating the Apple iOS app from today and will be adding the radio feature that it launched on its desktop application last year. The radio feature allows users to generate an unlimited number of similar artist radio stations using artists, albums, songs and Spotify playlists.
This will then be viewable via social media links into the app as you will be able to share and display your new radio playlist to all of your friends and social acquaintances. Additionally you’ll be able to make stations based on friends’ playlists or create a whole new station for yourself.
With the Spotify accounts systems you will be able to use the created stations across all of your devices using, so you can access your radio stations on your PC or on the move, and you can also continue where you left off if you suddenly leave home and go mobile, or vice versa.
The features are available to all Spotify users in the U.S, but premium users get an unlimited number of song skips as opposed to the non-premium who get the same amount as PC based users. In the UK the service is only available to Premium subscribers with the Spotify app.
When asked how many skips free users get, Spotify simply told us that it would be “industry standard” (i.e. the same number you get on competing services).
Currently there is no news on when the functionality will be hitting Android, Windows Phone or BlackBerry, but Spotify says it will be getting the update to all major platforms in due time.
If you are an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch user with a Premium Spotify account then the upgrade will be available from today onwards and you can check out the full press release by clicking the arrows below.
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.
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Spotify Launches Free Mobile Radio in the US
Starting today, Spotify users in the US can play for free on iPhone and iPad. The latest update to Spotify’s iOS app includes the new radio feature, giving free users in the US access to an unlimited amount of music on the move. The update is now available for download in the App Store.
The new radio feature for iOS is seamlessly integrated into the Spotify service, creating an unmatched user experience of listening, discovering, saving and sharing music, from a catalog of more than 16 million songs.
Spotify users on iPhone and iPad can now:
Create limitless streaming radio stations from single songs, playlists, albums or artists
Create an unlimited number of stations and listen as long as they like
Save tracks to Spotify playlists – any song that users “like” will be saved, so they can find the songs later
Personalize stations in real time by “liking” tracks to hear similar music
Browse friends’ playlists and create radio stations based on their tastes
Hear great new songs from Spotify’s state-of-the-art recommendation engine, based on what millions of real people are listening to
Access a catalog of over 16 million tracks
“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.”
Premium users of the Spotify iOS app will continue to have an ad-free experience. Free users in the US will hear advertisements from the following launch partners: Chevrolet, Durex, Heineken, Jim Beam, Lipton Iced Tea, Macy’s, McDonalds, Progressive, Red Bull, Taco Bell, Verizon Wireless, and Warner Bros – all of which are current Spotify advertisers.
The new Spotify radio feature will also be available to Premium users outside of the United States.
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