PlayStation, Spotify Team Up For PlayStation Music
By Martin Benn
In a PlayStation Blog post, Sony Network Entertainment announced a new partnership with Spotify called PlayStation Music. The service will allow you to link your PlayStation Network IDs with Spotify’s music service and sign up to stream Spotify’s huge library initially through your PS4, PS3, and Sony Xperia devices. You will still be able to use Spotify across the rest of Spotify supported devices as well as Sony’s devices should you sign up for Spotify through your PlayStation Network ID.
This is an exciting move for fans of PlayStation and of Spotify. While the ability to locally store MP3s or stream through DNLA is still not available on PS4, unlike it is on PS3 and other Sony USB devices, the ability to stream your music from Spotify’s servers is a very alluring alternative. Sony should still follow through on its promise to offer you the ability to do so, but, as it currently stands, the PlayStation and Xperia platforms just gained access to over 30 million songs for free, though signing up for Spotify’s ad-free Premium service will run players $9.99 a month.
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Maybe the most interesting aspect of this move is Spotify Premium currently allows for you to download files from its servers and play them locally offline as long as you are a Spotify Premium member. Above, I mentioned a pretty big roadblock to this reality on PS4; currently, PS4 is unequipped to store MP3s on the hard drive. You can still play MP3s from a formatted USB drive through USB Music Player, but this is a workaround to overcome the limits of the hardware and software provided. As such, the implications as they stand could mean the PS4 may be the most advanced console, but least capable Sony device to take advantage of Spotify being the exclusive partner of PlayStation Music. Hopefully, Sony notices this and will look to rectify this for PS4 owners.
Additionally, Music Unlimited will be shutting down in all 19 countries on March 29, 2015 to make way for Sony’s new PlayStation Music service. The shut down will not go unnoticed for current Music Unlimited Subscribers in those countries, but Sony has extended an olive branch of sorts to those owners offering them a free month of the service to close out their subscription from February 28, 2015 to March 29, 2015. A mea culpa, but Music Unlimited existing side by side with PlayStation Music would make little sense for Sony.
Altogether, this move is rather exciting for owners of Sony devices moving forward. Spotify is a much more vibrant service than Music Unlimited. It offers a more connected and social environment to interact with. The app itself and the way it interacts with the PS4 and Xperia interfaces will be interesting to wait and see as well given the way these devices update can update you of your friends online activities.
Currently, there are no dates for the launch of Spotify on PlayStation Music, but, until then, it is probably best to get those new NBA 2K15 playlists ready!
What do you think of the new PlayStation Music service? Will you link your accounts or sign up for Spotify through PlayStation? Tell us here at Gamesided what you think of the service below.