Feature: Why Spotify’s Recent Changes Could (and Should) Make It Essential

Recently Spotify announced that their free service will be restricted to ten hours of music a month and up to five plays per song. This impending withdrawal of unlimited free music has already had many expressing their disdain at the decision, with many vowing to never use the service again. This hot-headed response is irrational; Spotify are pushing their users towards one of the best services available on the web today.

Put simply, the offline function of Spotify has the potential to challenge the aesthetics of iTunes because £10 a month for limitless new music is a much safer investment than risking £7.99 on a single album. Now that users have the option to make their favourite artists available offline and on their mobile, it seems logical to make Spotify the public’s standard music platform. However, Spotify is doing much more than providing a potentially viable alternative to iTunes.

Spotify Announce Free Service Changes

Spotify have announced some changes to their current open plan, which will restrict the amount of free music users can listen to.

New Spotify users will be able to enjoy our unrivalled free service as of today for the first 6 months.

As of May 1st, any user who signed up to the free service on or before November 1st 2010 will be able to play each track for free up to a total of 5 times. Users who signed up after the beginning of November will see these changes applied 6 months after the time they set up their Spotify account.

Additionally, total listening time for free users will be limited to 10 hours per month after the first 6 months. That’s equivalent to around 200 tracks or 20 albums.

Further information can be found here.

Alter The Press! Spotify June Playlist

The latest Alter The Press! Spotify playlist can be found here. The playlist includes tracks from Blitz Kids, Hit The Lights, Sam Little, Moving Mountains and many more.

New In Gratitude Single on iTunes and Spotify

In Graditude's superb single, 'Moving On' is now on iTunes and Spotify.

New Far Album on Spotify

Far's superb new album, 'At Night We Live' is now streaming on Spotify here.

Read our review of 'At Night We Live' here.

'At Night We Live' is available now in the UK on Xtra Mile and from tomorrow in the US on Vagrant.

Alter The Press! April Spotify Playlist

Alter The Press! December Spotify Playlist

After a few months break, we're bringing back our monthly Spotify playlist. As usual the playlist includes current singles, classic songs and the occasional cover.

Listen to this month's Alter The Press! Spotify Playlist HERE.

Fall Out Boy – Alpha Dog
30 Seconds to Mars – Kings and Queens
Tiger Please – Intro
Tiger Please – Strawberry Moon
Youth Group – Forever Young
Death Cab for Cutie – Meet Me On The Equinox
Paramore – Brick By Boring Brick
Frightened Rabbit – Set You Free
Foo Fighters – Band On The Run
Vampire Weekend – A-Punk
Fireworks – 2923 Monroe St
Breathe Carolina – Hello Fascination
The Devil Wears Prada – Assistant To The Regional Manager
The Swellers – Fire Away
Brand New – Noro
stellastarr* – My Coco
MeWithoutYou – The Fox, The Crow And The Cookie
Kevin Devine – Holland, 1945
Weezer – (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
We Are The Ocean – Look Alive
The Strokes – Hard To Explain
Thursday – Understanding In A Car Crash
The Almost – Lonely Wheel
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
We The Kings – Check Yes Juliet
New Found Glory – Better Off Dead
Alkaline Trio – Nose Over Tail
Motion City Soundtrack – L.G. FUAD
Fall Out Boy – Yule Shoot Your Eye Out

Spotify For Video Game Consoles?

There are rumours that the increasing popular music streaming service Spotify, is to be made avail for various video consoles including Microsoft's X-BOX 360 and the Sony Playstation 3.

The Autuer, MiMi Soya and The Honeymoon Suite on Spotify

LAB Records have added releases from The Autuer, MiMi Soya and The Honeymoon Suite on Spotify.

The Auteur - 'Hey! Watch This...' (Single)
The Auteur - 'Nightcap' (EP)
The Honeymoon Suite - 'Calm Your Little Passions' (EP)
MiMi Soya - 'The Four Penny Knee Trembler' (EP)

New Tegan and Sara Album on Spotify

Tegan and Sara's new album 'Sainthood' is now available to listen to on Spotify here.

Tiger Please Now on Spotify

Tiger Please's new EP 'They Don't Change Under Moonlight' is now on Spotify here.

Portman EP Now on Spotify

Portman's final EP, 'These Songs Were Written In Bedrooms And Village Halls' can now be heard on Spotify here.

'Something To Write Home About' on Spotify

The Get Up Kids' classic 1999 album, 'Something To Write Home About' is now Spotify here.

We are giving away 4 copies of the 10th Anniversary edition of 'Something To Write Home About' here.

Alter The Press! September Spotify Playlist

This month's Spotify playlist includes new tracks from Twin Atlantic, Frank Turner, Saosin, Muse and Boys Like Girls. Along with tracks from All Time Low, Four Year Strong and Paramore, all of which are set to return to the UK in the near future.

The September AlterThePress! Spotify Playlist can be found here.

Boys Like Girls – Love Drunk
New Found Glory – Truck Stop Blues
Muse – Uprising
Four Year Strong – Story Of A Girl
All Time Low – Hello, Brooklyn
Twin Atlantic – You're Turning Into John Wayne
Not Advised – You're The Designers, We're The Deciders
Moneen – Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do
Thrice – All The World Is Mad
The Used – Blood On My Hands
Saosin – On My Own
Paramore – Decode
3OH!3 – Don't Trust M
Atreyu – Ex's and Oh's
Every Time I Die – The New Black
A Skylit Drive – Wires and the Concept of Breathing
Dashboard Confessional – Rapid Hope Loss
Rival Schools – Good Things
1997 – One Mind Track, Four Track Heart
Twin Atlantic – Lightspeed
Phoenix – Lisztomania
MeWithoutYou – The Fox, The Crow And The Cookie
Imogen Heap – First Train Home
Fun. – Be Calm
Manchester Orchestra – I Can Feel A Hot One
Tegan And Sara – Where Does The Good Go
Frank Turner – The Road
Jimmy Eat World – Firestarter
Jack's Mannequin – Hammers And Strings [A Lullaby]
Ben Folds – Brick
Regina Spektor – Real Love

Alter The Press! August Spotify Playlist

This month's Spotify playlist includes new songs from fun., Thrice, Blakfish, The Used and All Time Low.

Get the Alter The Press! Spotify Playlist here.

Fun. – At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)
Thrice – All The World Is Mad
Blakfish – Economics
The Used – Blood On My Hands
All Time Low – Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)
Boys Like Girls – The Great Escape
Saosin – Is This Real
Saosin – On My Own
The Sounds – No One Sleeps When I’m Awake
Manchester Orchestra – Where Have You Been?
Cobra Starship – Pete Wentz Is The Only Reason We're Famous - Explicit Album Version
Billy Talent – Rusted From The Rain
Set Your Goals – the few that remain
New Found Glory – 47
SAY ANYTHING – Alive With The Glory Of Love - Clean Album Version
Blakfish – I'm Laughing Now… But It's No Joke
Flood Of Red – Don't Sleep, Swim!
Million Dead – Pornography for Cowards
A – Starbucks
As Tall As Lions – Ghost of York
August Burns Red – Thirty And Seven
William Control – Beautiful Loser
Twin Atlantic – Lightspeed (Album Version)
Tubelord – Somewhere Out There A Dog Is On Fire
Thrice – Doublespeak
The Audition – It's Gonna Be Hard [When I'm Gone]
Matt Pond PA – I'm Not Okay
The Dear Hunter – Red Hands

Alter The Press! July Spotify Playlist

This month's Spotify playlist includes tracks from the likes of The Dangerous Summer, A Day To Remember, Alexisonfire and The Gaslight Anthem.

We've also included new singles from Farewell, Enter Shikari and Escape The Fate, as well some classic tracks from Panic! At The Disco, Hot Water Music, Neutral Milk Hotel and Beastie Boys. We've also added 2 Michael Jackson-related covers and one song from our forthcoming Autumn/Winter 2009 compilation.

Get the Alter The Press! July Playlist here.

Spotify can be downloaded here.
(Unavailable to US users)

Click read more to see the full Alter The Press! Spotify Playlist.


Alexisonfire – Old Crows
Moneen – Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do
The Dangerous Summer – Where I Want To Be
A Day to Remember – The Downfall Of Us All
The Gaslight Anthem – The 59 Sound
Thrice – The Earth Will Shake
Funeral For A Friend – Kicking and Screaming
Neutral Milk Hotel – Holland, 1945
Beastie Boys – So What'cha Want
Enter Shikari – No Sleep Tonight
Alexisonfire – Young Cardinals
The Devil Wears Prada – I Hate Buffering
Every Time I Die – Kill The Music
Dead Swans – Lines of seperation
Attack! Attack! – You And Me
Cave In – Inspire
Million Dead – I Gave My Eyes To Stevie Wonder
AFI – Dream Of Waking
Hot Water Music – Paper Thin
The Bronx – Knifeman
Escape The Fate – 10 Miles Wide
Something Corporate – I Woke Up in a Car
Farewell – Devoid
Forever The Sickest Kids – Whoa Oh! (Me vs Everyone)
Paramore – Decode - Twilight Version
Hey Monday – How You Love Me Now
The Maine – Count 'Em One, Two, Three
Discovery – Can You Discover?
Passion Pit – Make Light
Friendly Fires – Skeleton Boy
Discovery – I Want You Back
Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal
Panic! At the Disco – Nine in the Afternoon
Funeral For A Friend – Streetcar
Cobra Starship – Send My Love To The Dance Floor I'll See You In Hell [Hey Mister DJ]
3OH!3 – DONT TRUST ME
Metro Station – Seventeen Forever
My Favorite Highway – Say So
The All-American Rejects – The Wind Blows
All Time Low – Dear Maria, Count Me In (Connect Sets Acoustic)
Frank Turner – Long Live The Queen
Jonah Matranga – A New England
Spinnerette – Baptized By Fire
Panic! At the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies
The Matches – Salty Eyes
Jack's Mannequin – Hammers And Strings [A Lullaby]
Kevin Devine – Trouble
The New Amsterdams – From California
Manchester Orchestra – Where Have You Been?

Two Tick Records Looking For Bands for Compilation

Two Tick Records are looking for bands to go on a Spotify compilation later in the year. If you'd like to get involved, check out http://www.twotickrecords.co.uk

Alter The Press! Spotify Playlist: June 11th

Since the turn of the year, peer-to-peer streaming music program, Spotify has become increasingly popular, with 1000's of tracks available to stream for free.

Here at Alter The Press! are fans of the service and today we would like to share our first Alter The Press! Spotify Playlist, that includes music from Bayside, New Found Glory, Sparks The Rescue, Sing It Loud, Cobra Starship, Cash Cash and Taking Back Sunday; all of which we have interviewed recently.

In addition to this, the playlist includes recent single releases, staff favourites and tracks from new albums. In addition to this, we have included all 4 tracks from Hey Vampires' 'Problems, Solve Yourselves' EP, that we reviewed a few months back.

Alter The Press! Spotify Playlist: June 11th can be found here.

Spotify is available to UK ONLY users for free and can be found here.

Click read more to see the full Alter The Press! Spotify Playlist.
Weezer – My Name Is Jonas
Sparks The Rescue – I Swear That She's The One
The Get Up Kids – Action & Action
Boys Night Out – I Got Punched in the Nose for Sticking My Face in Other People's Business
Weezer – Undone - The Sweater Song
The Audition – My Temperature's Rising
Manchester Orchestra – My Friend Marcus
Taking Back Sunday – Sink Into Me
You Me At Six – Finders Keepers
Kevin Devine – Just Stay
The King Blues – Save The World, Get The Girl
Moneen – Are We Really Happy With Who We Are Right Now?
Sing It Loud – Don't Save Me
New Found Glory – Listen To Your Friends - LYTF09
Silverstein – Vices [feat. Liam Cormier]
Cash Cash – Party In Your Bedroom
Cobra Starship – Guilty Pleasure
The Friday Night Boys – High School
Enter Shikari – Juggernauts
A Skylit Drive – Wires and the Concept of Breathing
The Blackout – Children Of The Night
All Time Low – Weightless
Green Day – 21 Guns
Anti-Flag – When All The Lights Go Out
Placebo – For What It's Worth
Bayside – Boy
Mimi Soya – You Didn't Let Me Finish
Manchester Orchestra – The Only One
Weezer – Say It Ain't So
The Dear Hunter – Red Hands
Warship – Toil
He Is Legend – Dixie Wolf (The Seduction of...)
Darkest Hour – Demon(s)
There For Tomorrow – No More Room to Breathe
Dance Gavin Dance – And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman
Emery – Cutthroat Collapse
Sing It Loud – No One Can Touch Us
Hey Vampires – Wolves
Hey Vampires – So Much For Honesty
Hey Vampires – Problems, Solve Yourselves
Hey Vampires – Prometheus Was A Man
The Dear Hunter – The Pimp and the Priest
Passion Pit – Sleepyhead
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero
La Roux – In For The Kill - Skream's Let's Get Ravey remix
Imogen Heap – Goodnight And Go
Kyte – Solsbury Hill
JamisonParker – Dead to the World
Flight Of The Conchords – Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros (feat. Rhymenoceros and the Hiphopopotamus)
The Get Up Kids – Overdue
A Day to Remember – If It Means A Lot To You
Kyte – Eyes Lose Their Fire
Silverstein – The End [feat. Lights]