In today’s post, we talk about Spotify, the global leader in music streaming from Sweden 🇸🇪, and an excellent alternative to Apple Music, YouTube Music, or Amazon Music.

What is Spotify?

Well… we all heard of it! A music streaming service with a massive music library containing over 100 million tracks, 11 million creators, and over 100 genres. It was launched in 2008, and nowadays, it leads the way in the music streaming market with an estimated 32% share.

Why Spotify?

• Large library: over 100 million tracks, and growing.
• High-quality music playback: 320 kbps streaming!
• Spotify jams: Real-time collaborative playlists with up to 32 participants. Worldwide.
• Multi-platform: phone, web, computer. Spotify doesn’t lock users into an ecosystem!
• EU-based: GDPR-compliant and headquartered in Stockholm under EU regulations.

Spotify vs Big Tech

Unlike Apple Music, which locks users into the Apple ecosystem (and faced €1.8 billion in fines for anti-competitive behaviour), Spotify promotes fairness, user privacy while keeping high-quality services. Still on the privacy side, Spotify focuses purely on delivering exceptional music experiences without ulterior surveillance motives (e.g., YouTube Music and Google).

Why It Fits Our Vision

At the Network Institute, via SoftwareEU, we envisage a digital Europe ethical, autonomous, and equitable. Spotify allows us to enjoy world-class music streaming, while being cross-platform, non-monopolistic, and privacy-friendly.