Spotify Ltd said it has added customers since Apple Inc debuted Apple Music in June, as the tech giant’s expansion into music streaming has created a larger global market for Spotify’s service.
The notion that Apple would be a “Spotify killer” was overblown, chief executive officer Daniel Ek said at an event in Toronto on Monday.
Though he declined to give specific numbers on customer gains, Ek said the London-based company is seeing more traction with music listeners than ever before.
“We keep setting new records week by week,” Ek said.
Spotify is the world’s largest subscription music-streaming service with 20 million users who pay a monthly fee to listen to as much music as they want.
The service costs US$9.99 in the US, the same price Apple will charge for Apple Music once customers use up a free three-month trial.
Apple’s position as the world’s largest music retailer — which it reached by offering individual songs for sale online through its iTunes service — is in danger, with music-streaming revenue expected to exceed sales from downloads next year, MusicWatch said.
Ek, speaking at the event with Rogers Communications Inc, said Spotify’s partnerships with wireless carriers is critical to growing its user base. The company has about 40 partnerships with carriers around the world, he said.
Separately, UK luxury-goods maker Burberry Group PLC introduced a channel on Apple’s music service.
The channel is to showcase Burberry’s collaborations with emerging and iconic British talent, including Lilla Vargen and Alison Moyet, and feature performances, songs and films alongside regular playlists, the London-based company said yesterday in a statement.
The partnership with Apple is the latest in a series of initiatives by the trenchcoat maker to widen its influence and reinforce its image as a purveyor of cool.
Subscribers to Apple Music will be able to follow Burberry and gain access to musical updates and behind-the-scenes stories. Fans will also be able to comment or share the content via messages, Facebook, Twitter and e-mail, Burberry said.
The connection between Apple and Burberry is the latest example of fashion and technology colliding. Earlier this month, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE appointed Apple’s Ian Rogers as group digital officer, while Apple unveiled a new band for its Apple Watch made by fashion company Hermes.
Angela Ahrendts, former chief executive officer of Burberry, joined Apple last year as head of retail operations.
Burberry introduced its Acoustic platform in 2010, promoting emerging artists on both Burberry.com and YouTube.
To date, nearly 100 performances have been commissioned, curated and filmed by Burberry, achieving more than 19 million views on YouTube, according to the company.
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