New music service takes up the Spotify gauntlet
Scandinavian mobile technology firm Aspiro has announced the impending launch in Sweden of WiMP, a new music streaming service hoping to imitate the success of pioneering Swedish site Spotify.
The new service, which has been named WiMP, opens to Swedish users on March 3rd and is already available to customers of mobile telecoms firm Telenor.
"WiMP offers an editorial profile, guiding users to millions of songs. Our country editors will select material relevant for each market to help users to cope with the amount of music that a music streaming service can offer," said Kristin Castillo Eldnes at Aspiro to The Local on Thursday.
"We think it is more important to take about the relevance, than how many millions of songs are in the catalogue," Eldnes added.
It is this strong editorial profile which WiMP hopes will enable it to compete with the likes of Spotify, the pioneering Swedish music service which is soon to add the US to its growing list of markets.
WiMP will be priced at 99 kronor ($15) per month, the same as Spotify but without the free advertising funded option.
"By being a pure payment service, WiMP contributes financially to artists, record labels and rights holders and helps to create a sustainable music industry. This ensures that WiMP’s music catalogue will always be extensive and deep," the firm wrote in a statement.
WiMP was launched in Norway, Denmark and Portugal during 2010, and the firm plans to expand the service beyond Sweden during the remainder of 2011.
"We have said that we will definitely open in more countries during 2011, but we don't know which yet," Kristin Castillo Eldnes said.
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The new service, which has been named WiMP, opens to Swedish users on March 3rd and is already available to customers of mobile telecoms firm Telenor.
"WiMP offers an editorial profile, guiding users to millions of songs. Our country editors will select material relevant for each market to help users to cope with the amount of music that a music streaming service can offer," said Kristin Castillo Eldnes at Aspiro to The Local on Thursday.
"We think it is more important to take about the relevance, than how many millions of songs are in the catalogue," Eldnes added.
It is this strong editorial profile which WiMP hopes will enable it to compete with the likes of Spotify, the pioneering Swedish music service which is soon to add the US to its growing list of markets.
WiMP will be priced at 99 kronor ($15) per month, the same as Spotify but without the free advertising funded option.
"By being a pure payment service, WiMP contributes financially to artists, record labels and rights holders and helps to create a sustainable music industry. This ensures that WiMP’s music catalogue will always be extensive and deep," the firm wrote in a statement.
WiMP was launched in Norway, Denmark and Portugal during 2010, and the firm plans to expand the service beyond Sweden during the remainder of 2011.
"We have said that we will definitely open in more countries during 2011, but we don't know which yet," Kristin Castillo Eldnes said.
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