Spotify, the popular digital music service, is making its debut on the Xbox One gaming console. Microsoft has just announced the release of Spotify app on Xbox One, finally ending Spotify's two years PS4 exclusivity.
According to TechCrunch, the new Spotify app looks and even works very similar with its PS4 and Android TV counterparts. The app, which currently available from for download from Xbox Store, will work both for free and premium users of the service.
It also supports Spotify Connect on a smartphone, which means that users will be able to log into the app using their smartphone and pick their songs without having to leave their game session.
Additionally, the app also includes access to gaming playlist. It can also run background music on the console, allowing players to play music while in a gaming session. The app will be made available in 34 countries.
Spotify, a close look at the streaming service
First released in October 2008, Spotify is a digital streaming service that provides digital rights management-protected content from record labels and media companies.
It provides a freemium service while additional features are provided via paid subscriptions. These include offline downloads and improved streaming quality and more.
Spotify can be found in almost all of the modern devices today, including PC, Android-powered mobile devices, iOS-powered devices, MacOS, and Linux-powered computers. Users can search music by browsing through or searching for by parameters such as artists or album. Users can also create, edit and even share playlists or tracks on social media sites. The streaming service currently provides access to more than 30 million songs. As of July 2017, Spotify has more than 140 million monthly active users and more than 60 million premium subscribers.
Spotify has also made some acquisitions to beef up its service. In March 2017, it acquired an audio detection startup Sonalytic for an undisclosed amount. It also bought MightyTV to improve its advertising effort. In April 2017, it snatched a blockchain start-up Media chain to help in connecting artists and rights-holders with the tracks on its service. And in May, it acquired an AI startup Niland to help with its personalization and recommendation features.
In addition to acquisitions, Spotify has also announced plans for IPO (initial public offering) on the stock market. However, the company decided to do the planned IPO in 2018 to build up a better balance sheet and improve its margins.
What to expect from the new Xbox One app
According to Time, the new Spotify for Xbox One app offers high-quality audio. It will offer three streaming quality tiers. The first one is a 96 kbps for mobile devices; the second one is a sub par 160 kbps for desktop and web players. And the third one is for the premium users; it’s a more listenable 320 kbps. In addition to audio quality, the app will also support higher quality streaming. Microsoft has just confirmed reports that high quality will be on 320 kbps.
Finally, to mark the big event, Microsoft’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb shared his personal curated playlist, which reportedly full of “Games of Thrones” music.