Spotify figures suggest failure

The first 6-month figures for Spotify suggest what we’ve all known - the concept is likely to fail. With users streaming an astonishingly low average of just 370 tracks in the 6 months, the service is not meeting music-lover needs.

Looking at the figures in more detail, 370 tracks breaks down to:

• average usage is just 2 tracks per day (yes, TWO only)
• average usage is significant as Spotify claims no “honeymoon” drop-off

Also of note is that ONE THIRD of tracks available on Spotify have never been streamed.

As to the music choices, Lady GaGa dominated the Spotify charts along with Now That’s What I Call Music compilations and the Clubland CDs. Which suggests Spotify is the new, online version of Woolworths - a music service for people who don’t follow music for quality or depth.

No problem with people enjoying good pop music, but professional services like iTunes and Last.FM will continue to dominate for serious music lovers.

Valentines - the style of advertising - the attraction of style

Apple is a wonderful inspiration in so many ways, from computers to operating systems to iTunes and to iPods. And let's not forget Pixar and Toy Story and all the rest. A large part of their success is clarity of both design and message.

The Apple Macintosh has always been the Lotus to the Ford of Microsoft. The Mac is sleek, focussed, powerful and fast. It will get the same job done in half or even a third of the time. Part of the reason is it has a much better operating system - optimised for design, graphics, images and video.

So it is perhaps no surprise the advertising used by Apple is also sleek, impressive and clever. It is not trying to be all things to all people - and master of none. Apple's brand is about quality, purpose, clarity - and colour.

Apple's design of their computers revolutionised the industry, blew apart the entrnenched greys and off-blues of the mainstream, suggesting that computers were great tools but could also look great - like a Lotus.

So it's also no surprise the advertising by Apple for Valentines Day will be clever and colourful.

We love it.
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