One of the big names in the music streaming industry, Spotify was founded in 2006 by Daniel Ek and co founder Martin Lorentzon. It didn't launch, however, until October 2008-and back then it was called Spotify AB. While Spotify is quite popular today among United States users, it actually launched in Sweden first. Two years after the launch, it had acquired about 10 million users, and two years after that (2012), that number doubled to 20 million.

As of 2014, the company boasts 50 million active users. Talk about rapid growth! When Spotify first launched, it wasn't the most accessible streaming service around. People could only use it if they received an invitation to create an account, and even then they were required to pay for the account. Nothing was free. After a few months, however, the people at Spotify wanted to develop a free version-which led to the options users enjoy today.

About 12.5 million people pay for a subscription to use Spotify while the rest enjoy free (ad-supported) streaming. What makes Spotify unique? Unlike some competitors, Spotify doesn't just feed you preselected songs. It lets you hand-select songs you're in the mood for.

What's more, you can download songs from Spotify and listen to them offline on your device. Spotify syncs with a variety of platforms too, including the Web, Android, iOS, and Windows.

Signing up for Spotify is much more accessible now that the company is older. To do so, you just create a username and password and then enter your email address, date of birth, and gender. You'll also need to download Spotify on your device in order to play songs. With over 30 million tracks to offer, you'll hardly run out of options. Despite its current popularity in the US, Spotify didn't become available there until 2011.

More than 1,200 employees strong, it now reaches more than 50 languages and operates in 60 different countries. Its worldwide headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden, and London, UK, and its US headquarters are in New York, New York.

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The Good

Possibly the best thing about streaming with Spotify is the control you have as the user. Unlike some competitors, Spotify lets you pick the song you want to listen to right now. You can also create and save personalized playlists. Spotify also boasts a library of 30 million songs-and adds about 20,000 tracks to this library every day.

About 1.5 billion playlists have been created on Spotify so far. With that extensive of a library, chances are good that you'll be satisfied with the music you can stream on-demand. As a consumer, one of your primary concerns is price. Spotify won't let you down there.

As long as you're willing to put up with ads, you can stream Spotify for free! Even if you don't want ads, the premium plan (which is ad-free with even higher-quality audio) is just $9.99 per month-about the same amount most competing services charge. As a bonus, students enjoy a 50% off discount every month.

Spotify is also accessible in 60 countries throughout the world, which means it's easier to take your music with you when you travel or move.

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The Bad

One word: ads. Because Spotify's free version makes no profit off of users, the company relies on ads and paid subscriptions to make any money. So unfortunately, to use Spotify you should be prepared to either tolerate ads every few songs or fork over a monthly fee.

What's more, some users have complained that certain ads on Spotify are inappropriate. This can be a major turnoff, especially to users who want family-friendly streaming. Not only do these ads interrupt your music experience; they can leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.

In addition, to use Spotify you need to take the extra step to download Spotify on your device. Downloading it isn't a major red flag by any means, but it does add an extra step and possibly troubleshooting on your part. In general, the music streaming industry is still fairly new, but there are admittedly options with more years of experience than Spotify.

Because Spotify has been around since only 2008 (and in the US since only 2011), it has a shallower history than some competitors. Again, this isn't a reason to avoid using Spotify, but it may be a reason for any kinks you experience with them. Streaming music is an online pastime, and, as such, the website for it should be easy to use. Spotify's website is easy enough to navigate, but it's a bit visually overwhelming and includes unnecessary information.

Because of this, it may take a little extra effort to find the links you need. All in all, most of Spotify's limitations are not red flags but, instead, might disagree with your preferences. So as you search for the right streaming company, you'll need to know what's most important to you.

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The Bottom Line

As a company, Spotify has proven successful in many countries throughout the world in the short number of years it has been operating. In addition to suggesting new music to users, it specializes in on-demand listening and gives you more control over the music you enjoy.

Bear in mind that to use Spotify, you'll need to download its player on your device. But on the whole, they offer plenty of music, extensive platform accessibility, and widespread availability.

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1,193 Reviews

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Heather Nuffer Lindon, UT

Spotify Premium has added joy, zen, and fun into my life. I use it during the day while I'm working for calming background music. And I enjoy creating playlists for my projects and events. I am fascinated by the variety of music that I discover. Podcasts are also handily accessible on Spotify.

2 weeks ago

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jennifer thompson Prospect Park, PA

There are four people living in my home and we have three Spotify accounts. My teenagers, particularly love it because they can load up all their favorite music and listen to it on the go like when they’re on their way to school or work. We also love that you can listen to your music through your electronic devices at home like an Alexa or Google home. Considering how much we listen to music and how much music we download the price is not that bad.

1 month ago

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G.J. Boise, ID

I love this app I use the free version. You can pay for the premium version but I don’t see why you would need to maybe if you don’t like the commercials. They have a huge variety of music too chose from. You can also make a play list of your favorite songs from different artists. I have used other music apps in the past but after I stumbled across this app I deleted all of the other music apps. Spotify has everything I need and want to listen to. I highly recommend Spotify!!

6 months ago

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Nichole Davidson Sandy, UT

I love Spotify! Their music selection is vast with great recommendations and playlists. There are so many users on Spotify that create public playlists that you can always find new music or a great playlist if you're in too much of a hurry to create your own. They also do Spotify Sessions where artists will work with them to do a few different versions of their songs - mini private concerts like. Spotify also has language courses and audible books so your monthly fee gets you much more than music. Great user interface on their site, computer app and mobile app - easy to navigate with good and relative recommendations. Service is easy to cancel as it's only month to month.

5 years ago

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Summer Porter Managua, MN

Spotify is my favorite. With offline streaming, it makes streaming from wherever and whenever possible. For just a small monthly fee, you can become a premium member and have free skips. At the end of each year, Spotify will create different playlists for you with your most listened to tracks and favorite artists. I'll always be an advocate for Spotify!!

3 years ago

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Edwin A Gonzalez

I love it. They way you can make and share your playlists is awesome. I like how when your playlist is over, recommended music keeps playing because it set up a radio station based on what you like. And i actually discovered new artists i like because of that. As in for improvements, i like it as is but would be nice to get a discount once in a while for loyal customers.

4 years ago

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Krystal Orem, UT

I love being able to stream/download any song at any time. It is also nice that since you have the ability to download a song you are able to listen to music anytime and not have to worry about using your data at the same time! I also love that you have access to the newest songs and albums that are released. There are no annoying ads and it also has playlists already created so you are able to discover new artists.

5 years ago

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Jason Atlanta, GA

Spotify has just about any recorded song you could ever want to listen to and is pretty cheap.

2 months ago

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Bea ThaTruth San Antonio, TX

Favorite streaming app, you can listen to podcasts. You can make your own Playlists and shuffle. Highly recommend.

3 months ago

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Ashley D Tallahassee, FL

I have been using Spotify since middle school. I am now in college. Spotify is the most personalized music app I have had. They make the best playlists for you, the best radios for the different genres of music and artists you listen to, their Spotify wrapped content is so engaging and the playlist conjured from that is even better. I am on spotify all day and I utilize the things they make for me all the time. As someone that doesn't make playlists, spotify helps me out tremendously. I also just like the way it looks. It's aesthetically pleasing to me. Also, the student deal where I pay 5 dollars for premium, hulu, AND showtime is beyond amazing. I am getting way more than I am paying for.

1 year ago

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Abril Hunter Tallahassee, FL

Spotify is possibly the best music streaming app I’ve ever used. I really enjoy all of the features that Spotify premium offers. I use Spotify premium on a day to day basis. I currently pay for the student Spotify premium package with Hulu and it really increases my quality of life. I find that it is easy to search and find music on the app. I often use the web browser as well when listening off of my computer. My favorite part of the app is it’s “new radio” section where you can find a whole radio station of similar songs to the song you’re currently listening to. I can’t say enough good things about Spotify premium.

1 year ago

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Kylie Alpine, UT

Spotify is my favorite for streaming music. I am able to create playlist for free of the music that I like and play them whenever. I personally have only ever used the free version, but I still love it, an occasional ad will pop up, but the best part of Spotify that I think separates itself from other music streaming, is the 30 minutes of ad free music that it will surprise you with every once in a while. I am able to find my friends profile and listen to their playlists. Spotify also makes “daily mixes” that finds dog within the same genres that you have been listening to and puts it in a playlist just for you. This lets me discover new songs and music that are similar to the music I’m already listening to.

3 years ago

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Jaylene Holcomb, NY

I have been a loyal paying customer to Spotify for years. The wide variety of music options paired with the cheap monthly fee makes it an obvious choice. Just recently, I graduated high school and am now enrolled in college. Being that I am a poor college student, choosing to pay for a Spotify subscription was difficult at first. That was, until I found out about Spotify’s college student discount. For only $5 a month, I get a Spotify AND Hulu subscription. This is just one of the reasons why Spotify is the ultimate music streaming source. I also love the social connection that Spotify brings. On my computer, I can always see what my friends on Spotify are listening to, this helps me stay connected to them and learn about more music.

3 years ago

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Anna Hu Provo, UT

Spotify has legitimately changed my life. Music is a big part of my life, and I love every single service Spotify offers. I love being able to share and connect music with my friends, I love the customized playlists they make for me (weekly customized playlist for you as well as weekly newly released songs you would like), and the variety of pre-made Spotify playlists for a variety of settings, moods, and situations. Whether I need background study music or need to put on music for a party, Spotify has something there for you. I am constantly able to find new music and easily share it with my friends.

4 years ago

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Mandi Colorado Springs, CO

I use Spotify Premium and it is awesome. There are no ads or commercials so your music is never interrupted. I love how you can make multiple playlists out of your liked songs. And of course, the Joe Rogan podcast that is now on Spotify is SUPER fun to listen to and is one of my favorites!

1 year ago

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Taylor Johnston

Spotify's Radio tab is a great, if less unique, option for music discovery. The Radio section works much like other music streaming radio functions, and it can be just as useful as the Discover page for finding new music. The page displays playlists of music similar to the songs and artists you've recently listened to

1 year ago

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kaylie mahar Springdale, AR

I have only had good experiences with Spotify because I always seem to find the music I am looking for. I also enjoy the recommended songs that are always below my particular playlists because they are similar to the songs I saved.

2 years ago

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Brandy Tallahassee, FL

I use a bit of apps for music and Spotify is one of them. One thing I love about Spotify is that you could view other people's playlist which helps when you're looking for new music. I also love Spotify's easy accessibility and the affordability of it. 10/10 would recommend

2 years ago

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Paige Stockard Wichita, KS

I love using Spotify! It is a great app to make playlists and discover new music. The app also has some really cool pre-made playlists and if you don't feel like putting the effort into making your own, it is for sure that they will have a playlist that will suite whateve genre you are looking for.

2 years ago

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Jadon Barre Dallas, TX

Spotify is a great place not only to listen to your favorite music, but also to extend your music library. I listen to Spotify with everything I do. I’ve been building a playlist of all the songs I find with Spotify. I’m now at 523 and counting.

3 years ago

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JD Dunklee Hattiesburg, MS

I absolutely LOVE Spotify. I use it on a daily basis. I love that there is an endless amount of playlists I can make. I also really love the Daily Mix’s that they make for you. It lets me find new artists that are in the same genres that I listen to

3 years ago

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Violet Acosta Stewart Gulfport, MS

I listen to Spotify an average of four hours a day. On the weekends, it's on all day. This goes to show that im always listening to music. It's helped to develop my taste in music and find new underground bands I've never heard of. It's also a great way for growing artists to get out into the community.

3 years ago

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Brooklyn Pruitt Pleasant Grove, UT

Do you love to have a ton of playlists but hate making them? Well, Spotify has a solution for you! Here you can enjoy your music on the go or wherever you are! It is a convenient app suitable just for you! It's easy! search the artist you want or the music you want to listen to and it will play a variety specific to that! Love it!

4 years ago

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Jill

I love that for 9.99 a month I can listen to and stream as much music I can handle without commercials. I can usually find anything I'm looking for including indie and local artists. I wish it were cheaper, but that's because I'm a thrifty person.

4 years ago

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Tonishia Oliver

I enjoy using Spotify. I get to listen to all my favorite artists and I'm introduced to new artist and find new favorites. I like that I get to download music as well. My only suggestion for improvement would be more clear directions for downloading.

4 years ago

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Hiba a Nakhlawi

They make is easy to create great playlists and connect with other like minded music lovers. I've been a fan and finally decided to pay for a membership and haven't looked back since. Not having adds and always having the right song at my fingertips has changed the game for my workouts and car rides.

4 years ago

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Lesa Burgess Pleasant Grove, UT

For Spotify to be worth purchasing is upgrading on the mobile app. The unlimited skips, double your bit rate & ability to listen offline are all features that I take advantage with this upgraded service. Spotify is the way of the music streaming future!

4 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Andrea Winters South Jordan, UT

Spotify has the best selection of music! I love that I can make my own playlists, I love that I can save albums, I really really love that I can make the music available offline so if I don’t have service I can still play my favorite music!

4 years ago

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I have used Spotify for 6 years now and I love it! It is the only way I listen to music and everyone that I come in contact with that doesn't use it gets a freakin sales pitch and a half! Glad Taylor Swift finally saw the light.

5 years ago

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Patrick Orem, UT

I am a paying customer of Spotify and these guys are great. However it is a bit embarrassing. Spotify just told me I have listened to 57,000 minutes (39 days) of music this year. That's a lot. They have an amazing database of music. They also just added podcasts. Why would you ever leave?

5 years ago

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Cassidy Gundersen Orem, UT

I use Spotify all the time when I’m at home. I have an Echo Dot, and I love that you can connect Alexa to Spotify. I play music through it all the time. The only downside is that my husband and I use the same account, and so sometimes we hijack it from the other person. We could just use our own separate accounts, but we’re cheap.

5 years ago

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Hyrum Sandy, UT

The family plan is a great value. I enjoy having access to a nearly unlimited library without having to buy all music. And I like that you can download playlist so when you don't have internet, you can still listen to anything you like.

5 years ago

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Kalli Miner Newton, IA

Spotify is my jam, I use it absolutely everyday. Im a musician and a music enthusiast generally and recharge my soul via my premium account. I've even set up my company with an account and they LOVE IT. Spotify is dope, keep doing what you're doing. And pay The Weepies more. They're brilliant.

5 years ago

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Jonny Hancock Draper, UT

I've been on Spotify for 3 or 4 years now and I absolutely love it. The platform just keeps getting better and better. Plus I love having access to so much music for such an affordable price. The student discount was awesome when I was in school too.

5 years ago

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Phalda Morris Jacksonville, FL

I have used Spotify streaming services for years now and I have never been disappointed. They have almost every kind of music you could imagine and they have great prices, especially for students. I also love how at the end of the year they show you how much music you have listened to and what kinds of music. It's a very unique feature and I think it makes Spotify stand out from other streaming services.

1 year ago

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Charlotte P Herriman, UT

I use Spotify on a daily basis, it's my go to to find new music, find music that I remember from years past etc. I really enjoy making new playlists that I am able to share with my friends and family. In my opinion this is the best streaming music service. Spotify has so many functions in my everyday life that I don't know what I would do without it! It has great podcasts & shows, very user friendly and very customizable.

1 year ago

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Connor Smith Tallahassee, FL

Spotify is my preferred streaming service by far. I have premium which is something I would say is well worth the monthly price. One thing I really enjoy about it is the premade playlists they make for me which lets me find new artists and songs that I end up enjoying. Although, one thing I don’t like is that I can’t change the covers of different songs to whatever image I want.

1 year ago

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Hijah Smith Tallahassee, FL

I will always recommend Spotify to music lovers. Spotify makes it fast and easy to gain access to your liked songs, playlist, podcast, and favorite artists. They created a personalized playlist for you every week! Plus, they recommend new music to you based on what you have been recently listening to. An extra bonus is your yearly Spotify Wrapped that shows you who and what you mostly listened to the past year.

1 year ago

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Kara Turkson Tallahassee, FL

Spotify is a really good music streaming service. They usually have any given artist's discography, but like other streaming services, may not have some songs or albums if it was not made available to them. The best feature has to be the personalized playlists you receive on your home page daily, weekly and yearly. Spotify also gives the option to make a radio station of a playlist you created, so it really encourages finding new artists and music, which overall enhances the music listening experience.

1 year ago

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Debora Paez Columbia, MO

There are many people that find themselves making the decision between Apple Music and Spotify. Although I am a faithful Apple customer, Spotify has always been the obvious choice for me. The student bundle is very generous by only paying $5 a month you get access to not only Spotify services but also Hulu. Additionally, Spotify still has a free service (not premium) and Apple does not. Spotify's personalized playlists are always great, the app is easy to navigate, all you dream of in a good music app

1 year ago

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Aiyana Brown Tallahassee, FL

I love spotify and even purchased spotify premium for a while. The quality of the music is superb and the added hulu membership just makes the premium subscription just that much more worth it. it’s a lovely and easy to use app to get all of your music needs in one place. Also the selection here is vastly better than that of other music apps so kudos to them for that!

1 year ago

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Grace M. Columbia, MO

Spotify is always ahead of the game as far as interactive components. I am obsessed with the new "Blend" feature that makes customized playlists for you and your friends by accentuating the similarities in your music taste. No skips ever with the automatically generated daily mixes. I'm able to customize my playlists as much as I could ever ask for, and receive recommendations that always pass the vibe check :)

1 year ago

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Mona-Lissa Tallahassee, FL

Spotify is my number one music-listening app. I love the software in place and don't have too much trouble with music shuffling. I wish they could make taking songs off of queue I literally had to google how-to songs I accidentally added off. But the app all in all is amazing and I love how they've been making it a bit more personal for listeners.

1 year ago

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abw fsu Tallahassee, FL

Spotify is where it's at! At first I was solely team Apple Music, but now I'm finding that Spotify has a lot to offer. I get music, podcasts, new, AND a discount on a Hulu subscription. My favorite feature is the "My Friends" tab, which shows me what all of my friends/followers are listening to in that moment and allows me to see whatever playlist or album the music is coming from. Spotify is so interactive, I love it!

1 year ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Caloway Salt Lake City, UT

Spotify has me as a customer for life. There are many great things about Spotify, one of which is their playlists. There are so many playlists for so many moods/activities. It is also very straight forward and very user friendly. It is more expensive than other streaming services, but I you get what you pay for, for the most part. It would be nice if it were a little cheaper.

2 years ago

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Landon Badoni Montgomery, TX

I LOVE SPOTIFY! I know everyone has their preference... But let me tell you why you should use spotify! Not only do they have an incredible database of songs, they have a superior radio selection and pre-assembled playlists. You don't have to be a radio head to find good music to listen to regularly. Plus the listening community is much more diverse in my opinion... Plus you get Hulu if you're a student so you tell me...

2 years ago

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Corbin Short West Wendover, NV

I have been using Spotify for quite some time now. Of all of the music streaming services, Spotify tends to have the largest selection (based on what I listen to). They typically have more live sets than Apple Music does. Another thing I would add is that Spotify is typically the go-to source for linking to certain songs. And their web interface is really easy if you switch computers frequently.

2 years ago

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Emily H West Wendover, NV

After using Spotify my first year of college, I knew I could never go back to any other music streaming service! I love how easy it is to create playlists, find music, organize songs, and see what my friends are listening to. With the college discount, it is a screaming deal for the value. My favorite feature is that Spotify will recommend songs that match your current vibes--this helps keep my playlist fresh and current!

2 years ago

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Abby Layton, UT

I love Spotify with my whole heart. I have the premium subscription and it is so worth the money -- I use it every single day! I've used other music streaming services in the past and Spotify seems to have the best interface and features. I love the curated playlists that are on the platform, as well as the playlists that are tailored to my account. I also like how Spotify keeps track of the music that I'm listening to most often and then puts it on my home screen for easy access. It's so easy to use and really makes music listening a good experience. There is so much to love about Spotify!

2 years ago

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Michael C. Fayetteville, AR

Spotify has always been my go-to platform, for all my music needs. I love how easy it is to navigate the app, how you can create playlists and queue songs. One of my favorite features, is the apps ability to create an album based off of your most listened to songs of that year. I have been using Spotify for almost 8 years now and plan to keep on using it. Great app!

2 years ago

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