Spotify is a Swedish music streaming company that has dominated the music industry since April 2008. It is undoubtedly one of the largest streaming services in the world, with more than 433 million active users and 188 million subscribed users.
In the last 14 years, the company has launched its services in over 180 countries, offering 80 million on-demand, offline, and ad-free tracks, podcasts, and videos.
The platform is widely popular among music enthusiasts as it offers free access to millions of tracks by simply signing up with an email or Facebook account. So, whether you are relaxing, partying, working out, or simply taking a walk – Spotify has a playlist for you.
However, there’s a catch – the free version of Spotify supports ads, while the paid version is ad-free. In addition, the paid version has additional features like downloads, unlimited skips, etc.
History
Spotify was launched in 2006 in Stockholm, Sweden, by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. The app made its international debut in February 2010 in the United Kingdom and saw a surge in registrations, eventually leading the company to halt registrations and shift to an invitation-only policy.
The following year, Spotify launched in the US and offered a six-month trial period for ad-free, unlimited music. This move turned out to be a great marketing strategy, as users were hooked to the service when their free trial expired.
With only 1 million users in 2011, Spotify slowly worked on its expansion and is now the number one streaming service worldwide. As of Q2 2022, Spotify has a total of 433 million users. The company shared that its Monthly Active Users (MAUs) growth in 2022 is the largest it has ever been. Furthermore, Spotify’s collaborations with tech giants like Microsoft, Discord, and Sony have further increased its popularity.
How Does Spotify Work?
You must sign up using your email or Facebook account to join Spotify’s services. The platform will ask basic questions like your name, gender, date of birth, etc. Each Spotify user has a unique handle/user ID. You can follow other users by searching their names or clicking on a pre-shared link to their accounts.
The free version has limited skips and ads integrated, while the paid version comes with unlimited skips and no ads. Users can also download playlists and songs in their premium accounts by clicking on the “Download” option.
The app has free applications for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Android TVs, and more. You can sign in using the same account on multiple devices but can only play music on one platform at a time. The premium subscription helps users save data and access 10,000 songs offline on their devices.
Spotify’s Presence in Canada
Spotify launched in Canada in September 2014, making Canada the 58th country to introduce its services to the public.
Initially, Spotify had an invite-only beta version in Canada, but that changed with time. Its launch in Canada was supported by partners like The Coca-Cola Company, Heineken Honda Canada, Subway, and other sponsors. Upon its launch, the platform offered 20 million songs to users, a tally that is now over 80 million.
In 2015, the company launched its first marketing campaign in the Canadian markets called “Music For Your World.” The campaign comprised a series of playlists celebrating four major markets – Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and Montreal.
Each playlist was curated by Spotify’s in-house editors and was full of popular songs in these neighborhoods, making this marketing campaign very successful.
Services Offered By Spotify
Spotify offers a lot of features for its users, both free and premium. These features allow users to take advantage of the full immersive experience and make the most of their subscriptions. Spotify’s standout features include the following:
- Listen to up to 80 million songs.
- Download up to 10,000 songs.
- Unlimited playlists.
- Private Sessions.
- Unlimited skips.
- Over 3 million Podcasts.
- Ad-free experience.
- On-demand songs.
- Group Sessions with your friends.
- Collaborative playlists.
- Regularly updated playlist blends.
Subscriptions For Canadian Users
Spotify offers four subscriptions to its Canadian users. Each subscription varies according to the number of accounts you can access with them. If you want to get a family or duo plan, all you have to do is sign-up and share the invite link. Here is how much Spotify’s subscription costs in Canada:
- Individual: CAD 9.99 – One account
- Duo: CAD 12.99 – Two accounts
- Family: CAD 15.9 – Six accounts
- Student: CAD 4.99 – One account
Services Reliability
Spotify has a highly reliable service worldwide, with very few complaints of apps crashing. However, users may face app issues due to bugs or compatibility issues, making their Spotify unresponsive. For such instances, Spotify has a dedicated Customer Service and Support center.
In addition, they have a help site for any customer queries. Furthermore, they also have a Community of users to answer any new questions. Lastly, users are free to contact the company at all times. The company’s Canadian office is located in Toronto, Ontario.
Is Spotify down? Outage map and real-tim statistics
The Spotify Outage Map is a unique tool that allows users to see areas facing issues. The outage map is updated in real-time and shows current and past outages reported by users. It also allows users to zoom in on specific areas and get more details about each reported problem. It is undoubtedly a valuable tool for users facing disruptions while streaming music.
The second chart shows the number of Spotify’s outage reports received today (blue line) and compares it to the number of reports received on the same day last week (gray line). The blue line in the chart shows the reports received today, while the gray line represents the reports received last week.
The third chart illustrates the details of outage reports received for the current calendar year. This information is helpful for users in determining whether the issue lies within their apps or if the company is facing some technical issues.
For example, suppose there is a sharp increase in the number of outages reported in the current calendar year. In that case, there may be significant disruption within the company’s servers.
Most common problems reported in the last 48 hours
The table below shows Spotify users’ most frequent problems reported in the last 48 hours.
Are you currently experiencing problems with Spotify? Share your thoughts, tips, and frustrations with others using the form below.
