Spotify launches in the U.S.

The service gives users access to more than 15 million songs, social sharing features and playlist management functionality

Spotify, the popular digital music streaming service available in Europe since 2008, launched on Thursday in the U.S., where music enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting it.

"This is a great day for anyone who loves music in the U.S. and, of course, a real milestone for us at Spotify," the company said in a blog post.

In the U.S., Spotify is giving users three options for registering for the service. There is a free tier supported through advertising to which people have to submit a request to get an invitation. It gives users access to more than 15 million [m] songs, social sharing features, playlist management functionality and the ability to sync up with mobile phones or iPods.

The second tier, Spotity Unlimited, costs US$4.99 a month and includes all the features in the free service while doing away with the ads.

Finally, Spotify Premium, at $9.99 per month, extends the service with offline listening mode and beyond desktop computers to cellphones and other mobile devices, features better sound quality and includes special content.

Spotify reportedly closed a $100 million funding round last month which gave it a valuation of about $1 billion.

Copyright © 2011 IDG Communications, Inc.

It’s time to break the ChatGPT habit
Shop Tech Products at Amazon