July 06, 2011

Virgin Media Spotify deal confirmed


Official press release:
Virgin Media today announced an exclusive agreement with digital music service Spotify that will make Virgin Media the only digital entertainment provider in the UK to offer the music platform across multiple services*. Making listening to and finding new music fantastically easy, worry-free and more affordable for Virgin Media customers, the pioneering partnership will see Spotify’s massive catalogue of over 13 million tracks available to customers however they choose, be it online, on the move through their mobiles, or in the living room through their TVs.
Virgin Media’s groundbreaking agreement with Spotify will mean over 4 million fibre optic broadband customers will have the option to access music online in a safe, legal way for the whole family whenever they want. Virgin Media will also be the only digital entertainment provider in the UK to integrate Spotify into its TV offering through its cutting-edge ‘connected’ TV service powered by TiVo, as well as being able to provide a bundled solution for customers with Virgin Mobiles.
Due to launch in the coming months, Virgin Media will be making Spotify available to both new and existing customers through a range of special offers. This will include both Spotify Unlimited, which will give customers unlimited access to Spotify’s full library of music, ad-free, on their computers, and Spotify Premium, which adds the ability to enjoy the complete Spotify library on the move through mobile devices. Customers choosing Spotify through Virgin Media will also benefit from exclusive features and content, as well as be eligible for special promotions.
Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media, said: “We are delighted to have united the Virgin Media brand with the world’s best music service. Spotify will help our customers to fill their world with music, whether it’s at home or on the go, and provide a unique way to get even more out of Virgin Media’s leading digital services.”
Andreas Liffgarden, director of business development at Spotify, added: “By teaming up with Virgin Media we’re giving millions more people across the UK the chance to enjoy all the world’s music at their fingertips, however they choose to listen to it - be that on their computer, mobile, and for the first time through their TV.”
Retaining the flexibility and freedom of Spotify’s existing online and mobile services, Virgin Media customers will be able to seamlessly create playlists from millions of tracks, share songs or playlists with friends instantly through social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as explore new music whenever they choose to. Virgin Media customers enjoying Virgin Media TV powered by TiVo®, the UK’s first next-generation ‘connected’ TV service, will be able to enjoy their Spotify service through a jointly developed app for subscribers.
Existing Virgin Media customers will get the first opportunity to take advantage of this exciting partnership with special offers and an exclusive sign-up window. Existing Spotify users that are currently, or become, Virgin Media broadband customers will be able to keep their existing accounts and still take advantage of bundled offers.

4 comments:

streaky_7 said...

Here's hoping for some cracking deals for VIP customers!!

There won't be any speed restrictions for high users will there?!! Like with our broadband downloads??!!

Afront said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Afront said...

I've written a post about this here on my Spotify blog: http://pansentient.com/2011/07/spotify-on-virgin-media/

Anonymous said...

I wonder if Virgin's version of Spotify will completely destroy classical music, live recordings, concept albums and songs that run into each other, just as the PC version does, by inserting gaps between every track? Will it retain the bug (reported to Spotify over two years ago but still ignored) whereby a not inconsiderable number of tracks are ruined by having their opening half-second chopped off or faded up? If you don't think these are serious issues in a music player, you perhaps either a) aren't very serious about music; or b) work for Spotify.