5 ms·

This reads like they've been acquired by Google and are integrating. Now Google just has to write the check and own music streaming.

simonswords82 11y ago
Hmmm...interesting point but Google already has an awful lot of music infrastructure in the form of Google Music and YouTube does it not? Would it really make sense for them to purchase Spotify too?
- txru 11y ago
  Buying brand loyalty, perhaps?
- toomuchtodo 11y ago
  They'd be buying the users.
  - simonswords82 11y ago
    That's about the only real value. But then what? Do they run the two entities separately? Or merge Google's offering with Spotify and risk pissing customers off who are loyal to the Spotify brand and app?
    - toomuchtodo 11y ago
      No idea whatsoever. Maybe merge Spotify into Google Fiber and include it as part of a content offering?
- mcintyre1994 11y ago
  I use Google's offering and it's probably pretty solid with YouTube Red, but I'm guessing at this point they're third behind Spotify and Apple?
- zymhan 11y ago
  Sure, one less competitor in the market.
- tormeh 11y ago
  I've only really looked at Spotify and Tidal, but Spotify is really good. There's more to streaming than content. Makes me curious about how good Google's recommendation engine is.
  - vinkelhake 11y ago
    As a long time Spotify user who switched to Google a few months ago: I really like the playlists and I've found a lot of new music that I like. The recommendations have worked really well. I'm not looking back.
    - pgm8705 11y ago
      I've also found that Google's radio stations are more diverse and less repetitive.
      - tormeh 11y ago
        Just checked out Google Music on Wikipedia. No native desktop clients. Not even for Windows, and I use Linux. They can't be serious. Total dealbreaker.
        kyrra 11y ago
        I tend to always have a browser open so a desktop client doesn't matter to me. I keep Play Music open in a tab. Then I use an extension[0] to add the other controls I normally use. [0] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/prime-player-for-google-p/npngaakpdgeaajbnidkkginekmnaejbi https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/prime-player-for-g...
  - gtaylor 11y ago
    I like it more than Spotify's. I found the repetition was much higher with Spotify, and never felt that it was "learning" what I liked. I don't know how many Mumford & Sons songs I thumbed down, but it would find progressively more obscure songs from them to slip into my Alt playlists. Even when Spotify wasn't repeating individual songs, it repeated artists a good deal. With Google Play Music, it throws a lot of different things at me in their generated playlists. I've had great success with the "I'm feeling lucky Radio", as well. I don't want to stop and think about what to listen to during a work day, so it's valuable to me to be able to start it in the morning and just listen in.
vonklaus 11y ago
I thought this as well. They have. This is Androids answer to Apple Music. edit: This also seemingly posted from a shelf account. Front page on HN, account 530+ days old, 0 comments, 0 posts. Reads like an acquisition. I am not sure what to make of this as it could be a total coincidence that after a year and a half dmichel was really interested in spotify's backend migration, but either way I wouldn't be surprised if google is going to purchase or bid for it. Maybe spotify moved unilaterally and is trying to position itself, could be a thouyght as well.
- CydeWeys 11y ago
  Do you have any source that Spotify has been acquired by Google? It sounds like baseless rumormongering to me. This wouldn't be a good way to announce such an acquisition anyway.
  - vonklaus 11y ago
    Sorry it was a flippant guess, which frankly I still stand behind as likely to be correct, but if unclear it was a guess.
- dmichel 11y ago
  Just an employee of spotify excited about the transition (I usually just lurk)
  - vonklaus 11y ago
    hahaha awesome! Glad you spoke up, exciting news. Just started using spotify a few weeks ago, but it is an awesome product. Cheers.
draw_down 11y ago
Why shell out for that effort before you get bought, though? Seems counterintuitive

simonswords82 11y ago

Hmmm...interesting point but Google already has an awful lot of music infrastructure in the form of Google Music and YouTube does it not? Would it really make sense for them to purchase Spotify too?

txru 11y ago
Buying brand loyalty, perhaps?
toomuchtodo 11y ago
They'd be buying the users.
- simonswords82 11y ago
  That's about the only real value. But then what? Do they run the two entities separately? Or merge Google's offering with Spotify and risk pissing customers off who are loyal to the Spotify brand and app?
  - toomuchtodo 11y ago
    No idea whatsoever. Maybe merge Spotify into Google Fiber and include it as part of a content offering?
mcintyre1994 11y ago
I use Google's offering and it's probably pretty solid with YouTube Red, but I'm guessing at this point they're third behind Spotify and Apple?
zymhan 11y ago
Sure, one less competitor in the market.
tormeh 11y ago
I've only really looked at Spotify and Tidal, but Spotify is really good. There's more to streaming than content. Makes me curious about how good Google's recommendation engine is.
- vinkelhake 11y ago
  As a long time Spotify user who switched to Google a few months ago: I really like the playlists and I've found a lot of new music that I like. The recommendations have worked really well. I'm not looking back.
  - pgm8705 11y ago
    I've also found that Google's radio stations are more diverse and less repetitive.
    - tormeh 11y ago
      Just checked out Google Music on Wikipedia. No native desktop clients. Not even for Windows, and I use Linux. They can't be serious. Total dealbreaker.
      - kyrra 11y ago
        I tend to always have a browser open so a desktop client doesn't matter to me. I keep Play Music open in a tab. Then I use an extension[0] to add the other controls I normally use. [0] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/prime-player-for-google-p/npngaakpdgeaajbnidkkginekmnaejbi https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/prime-player-for-g...
- gtaylor 11y ago
  I like it more than Spotify's. I found the repetition was much higher with Spotify, and never felt that it was "learning" what I liked. I don't know how many Mumford & Sons songs I thumbed down, but it would find progressively more obscure songs from them to slip into my Alt playlists. Even when Spotify wasn't repeating individual songs, it repeated artists a good deal. With Google Play Music, it throws a lot of different things at me in their generated playlists. I've had great success with the "I'm feeling lucky Radio", as well. I don't want to stop and think about what to listen to during a work day, so it's valuable to me to be able to start it in the morning and just listen in.

vonklaus 11y ago

I thought this as well. They have. This is Androids answer to Apple Music. edit: This also seemingly posted from a shelf account. Front page on HN, account 530+ days old, 0 comments, 0 posts. Reads like an acquisition. I am not sure what to make of this as it could be a total coincidence that after a year and a half dmichel was really interested in spotify's backend migration, but either way I wouldn't be surprised if google is going to purchase or bid for it. Maybe spotify moved unilaterally and is trying to position itself, could be a thouyght as well.

CydeWeys 11y ago
Do you have any source that Spotify has been acquired by Google? It sounds like baseless rumormongering to me. This wouldn't be a good way to announce such an acquisition anyway.
- vonklaus 11y ago
  Sorry it was a flippant guess, which frankly I still stand behind as likely to be correct, but if unclear it was a guess.
dmichel 11y ago
Just an employee of spotify excited about the transition (I usually just lurk)
- vonklaus 11y ago
  hahaha awesome! Glad you spoke up, exciting news. Just started using spotify a few weeks ago, but it is an awesome product. Cheers.

draw_down 11y ago

Why shell out for that effort before you get bought, though? Seems counterintuitive