NEW YORK – Spotify will launch Facebook-style apps that add certain features and functionality to its online music service, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The move, expected to be announced by the firm on Wednesday, could help differentiate Spotify amid growing competition from the likes of Google, Apple and Amazon.com, the paper said.
The Spotify apps will be free for paying and non-paying users.
One app will display lyrics while a song plays, while another will generate a list of upcoming concerts by artists in a user’s playlist and provide links that allow users to buy tickets, the Journal said. Stockholm-based Spotify’s “app finder” is also expected to include reviews from magazines and blogs that let users listen to albums as they read reviews, it said.
With Spotify opening its platform to app developers, similar to the way Apple handles its iPhone and iPad app store, more apps are expected soon. Like Apple, Spotify will check apps to ensure they work properly and meet certain criteria, the Journal said.
Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com
Twitter: @georgszalai
