Music streaming service Spotify has reportedly been telling record companies that it finally plans to make its U.S. debut next week. "Or maybe later!" suggests All Things D's Peter Kafka. "Spotify is
Spotify, so anyone who has paid any attention to this story will be reflexively skeptical that Spotify will show up in the U.S. until Spotify shows up in the U.S." (If you haven't been following
Spotify's story, the UK-based company has made multiple failed attempts to enter the U.S. market.)
"While the service has agreements in place with three of the four big (U.S.) music
labels, it still doesn't have a signed deal with Warner Music Group, which normally would be a warning flag for this kind of guesstimating," Kafka adds. "But people I've talked to who are familiar
with negotiations believe the two companies are close enough that a deal will be inked before the launch."
Complicating matters further, Spotify's global head of business development,
Faisal Galaria, just recently left the company. For better or worse, Galaria had set international expansion as Spotify's top priority, ahead of near-term profitability. The company also just
announced a partnership with Facebook to be more thoroughly integrated into the social network.
Read the whole story at All Things D »