Spotify Suspends Download Purchases in the UK

News
By Jane McEntegart
published

Users can still make use of gift cards and unused downloads.

DRM-based music streaming service Spotify has suspended download purchases in Europe as of today. According to a posting on the company's UK help pages, while customers will still have access to "re-downloads" and will still be able to use downloads that they haven't yet used, the company is putting the kibosh on new download purchases on Spotify.

The posting offers no explanation for the change, but speaking to Pocket-Lint, Spotify said the move was part of an effort to simplify the service, adding the gift cards may still be used.

"We recently updated Spotify to further simplify the service and pave the way for new features announced at the end of last year," the company told Pocket-Lint. "In-app purchases aren't part of this update but we're not ruling out their return. Credits/gift cards already purchased are still redeemable."

In fact, it seems this move applies to all regions where that had the option to purchase tracks to begin with. Engadget cites a Swedish reader as saying the same thing has happened there, so it seems Sweden-based Spotify is rolling this change out across the board. Spotify U.S. never had the option to purchase downloads so there should be no change to your service if you're a U.S. user.

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Jane McEntegart
12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • abbadon_34
    God forbid you OWN the song after PURCHASING it. My God has the world gone MAD! (i know, i know)
    Reply
  • Kami3k
    How the f&*$ does this simplify the service?
    Reply
  • derekullo
    Dave: I want to listen to Boston.
    Spotify: I'm sorry Dave i can't let you do that.
    Dave: What's the problem?
    Spotify: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
    Dave: What are you talking about, Spotify?
    Spotify: I know that you and Frank were planning to switch to iTunes, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.
    Reply
  • ushyperion
    Good news. I live in Europe and we hate such programs as iTunes and Spotify. Who wants commercials in their music anyways. And who want to pay for a program that uses your bandwidth all the time, meaning when you have no connection, no music. At least that's how i experienced Spotify. I said from the beginning that this program does not have a chance in Europe. I can't wait for this copyrights war to stop sometime. When will people see that downloading music and movies does not make them poor. If they make real music, people would buy their stuff anyways and go to their concerts. And for movies there already is a great solution HULU and Netflix, but then again that's only in 'Murica. So here we still HAVE to newgroup our movies. Ye or pay E60~$80 per movie.
    Reply
  • spectrewind
    abbadon_34God forbid you OWN the song after PURCHASING it. My God has the world gone MAD! (i know, i know)
    "the company is putting the kibosh on new download purchases" ...
    ... UNTIL THEY DECIDE TO GO FURTHER ...

    @abbadon_34: I'm not sure why you're being down-voted. Making complete sense.


    //begin thread hijack//
    These guys... Pandora. Apple. All online services where you cannot retain an uncontrolled copy of what you pay for... All the same. Changing the rules amid business should be a HUGE red-flag to any customer.
    Situations like this are why I go physical media route. I have a physical copy. NEVER, **EVER** go with online music purchasing thru some company, even Crapple (after Tim Cook destroys it).
    When they sink, or change their business to get out of the portable music business, your money is gone, and so is your music.

    Let's say Apple "pulls a Sony" and removes a feature after you pay for it.
    Hey you agreed to it in the EULA/TOS..., right?
    Oh, wait, you clicked accept without reading all gazillion pages....?


    Physical copies of your media. Buy it. It's yours. The company can't change the TOS on that after the fact. Period. I don't rent my paid-for tunes.
    Go ahead and down-vote me...
    //end thread hijack//
    Reply
  • ron wheeler
    Don't see the issue. If you have Spotify I suspect you're not that likely to want to 'own' the music anyway.
    Reply
  • blibba
    Pay the license holder whatever you think they deserve from you, pirate the track whenever you want.
    Reply
  • richarduk
    blibbaPay the license holder whatever you think they deserve from you, pirate the track whenever you want.What you do for a living, will be ok if your boss pays you what he thinks is ok? Maybe also pop into your house and take any item he likes?
    Piracy is called piracy for a reason, it's theft!
    Reply
  • blibba
    richardukWhat you do for a living, will be ok if your boss pays you what he thinks is ok? Maybe also pop into your house and take any item he likes?Piracy is called piracy for a reason, it's theft!
    My boss does pay me whatever he likes. As for taking (copies of) stuff from my house, no, I don't mind, as long as I get to keep the original.
    Reply
  • daglesj
    ushyperionGood news. I live in Europe and we hate such programs as iTunes and Spotify. Who wants commercials in their music anyways. And who want to pay for a program that uses your bandwidth all the time, meaning when you have no connection, no music. At least that's how i experienced Spotify. I said from the beginning that this program does not have a chance in Europe.
    Erm I guess you haven't used it in a while then? Or bothered to actually subscribe and help pay (no matter how little) to the music you were listening to?

    I switched over to a standard £4.99 Spotify account (no adverts) about 2 years ago. I now no longer bother with my CD collection. I am now listening to more new stuff than ever before.

    Works for me and it seems the ever growing number of users/subscribers.

    Your loss I guess.
    Reply